W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW Shares Sold by Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC

Key Points

• Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC significantly reduced its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. by 54.2%, ending the first quarter with 1,720 shares valued at approximately $1.7 million.
• W.W. Grainger reported $9.97 EPS for the last quarter, missing estimates, but achieved a year-over-year revenue growth of 5.6% to $4.55 billion.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $2.26, representing an annual yield of 0.9%, with a payout ratio of approximately 22.94%.

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC lowered its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 54.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,720 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 2,038 shares during the quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,699,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GWW. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Investment Management Corp VA ADV purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 34.3% during the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 47 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the last quarter. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter valued at about $46,000. Finally, Columbia River Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter valued at about $65,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

NYSE:GWW opened at $996.56 on Wednesday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $893.99 and a 52 week high of $1,227.66. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.67 billion, a PE ratio of 25.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.18. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $1,010.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,018.85.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $10.07 by ($0.10). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.99% and a return on equity of 49.63%. The business had revenue of $4.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.52 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $9.76 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger's revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 38.500-40.250 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 11th were issued a $2.26 dividend. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is presently 22.94%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on GWW. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Loop Capital reduced their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,035.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, September 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,069.13.

W.W. Grainger Company Profile

W.W. Grainger, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes maintenance, repair, and operating products and services primarily in North America, Japan, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, High-Touch Solutions N.A. and Endless Assortment. The company provides safety, security, material handling and storage equipment, pumps and plumbing equipment, cleaning and maintenance, and metalworking and hand tools.

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