W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW Shares Purchased by Geode Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Geode Capital Management increased its W.W. Grainger stake by 0.9% in the fourth quarter, ending with 1,217,834 shares worth about $1.23 billion, or roughly 2.56% of the company.
• W.W. Grainger reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $11.65 and revenue of $4.74 billion, both ahead of expectations. Revenue rose 10.1% year over year, and the company raised FY2026 guidance to 44.25–46.25 EPS.
• The company also increased its quarterly dividend to $2.49 per share from $2.26, while analysts currently maintain a consensus rating of Hold with an average target price of $1,212.88.

Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 0.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,217,834 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 10,533 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned about 2.56% of W.W. Grainger worth $1,230,214,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 211.1% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 314.3% during the 4th quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 29 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 22 shares during the period. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. State of Wyoming raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 650.0% during the 2nd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 45 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $57,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In other W.W. Grainger news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 313 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,231.69, for a total transaction of $385,518.97. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 399 shares of the company's stock, valued at $491,444.31. This trade represents a 43.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 1,457 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,232.29, for a total transaction of $1,795,446.53. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 2,232 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,750,471.28. This represents a 39.50% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 6,451 shares of company stock worth $7,380,743. Company insiders own 6.30% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,247.99 on Friday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $906.52 and a 12-month high of $1,286.56. The company has a current ratio of 2.69, a quick ratio of 1.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stock has a market cap of $58.92 billion, a PE ratio of 33.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a 50-day moving average of $1,162.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,088.43.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $11.65 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.21 by $1.44. The business had revenue of $4.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 9.70% and a return on equity of 47.87%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $9.86 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 44.250-46.250 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 45.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th will be given a dividend of $2.49 per share. This represents a $9.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. This is an increase from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $2.26. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 11th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.79%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,170.00 to $1,337.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,250.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,052.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,212.88.

W.W. Grainger Company Profile

W.W. Grainger, Inc NYSE: GWW is an industrial supply distributor founded in 1927 and headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois. The company supplies maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products and services to businesses, institutions and government customers. Over its long history Grainger has developed a broad product assortment and a national distribution network that supports operations across a range of end markets, including manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, transportation and public sector organizations.

Grainger's product portfolio spans core categories such as electrical and lighting, safety and personal protective equipment, material handling, motors and power transmission, plumbing and HVAC, fasteners and adhesives, hand and power tools, and janitorial and facility supplies.

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