Raymond James Financial Inc. Sells 146,609 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Raymond James Financial Inc. significantly reduced its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. by 57.8% during the 1st quarter, selling 146,609 shares and retaining 107,202 shares valued at approximately $105.9 million.
• W.W. Grainger recently declared a quarterly dividend of $2.26, with an annualized dividend yield of 0.9%, scheduled for payment on September 1st.
• Analysts have mixed views on W.W. Grainger's stock, with target price recommendations ranging from $950 to $1,176, and a consensus rating of "Hold."

Raymond James Financial Inc. trimmed its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 57.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 107,202 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 146,609 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. owned about 0.22% of W.W. Grainger worth $105,897,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GWW. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 46.8% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 320 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $338,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at $6,083,000. GeoWealth Management LLC increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 28.1% in the fourth quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 451 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $475,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 134.6% in the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 31,119 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $32,801,000 after purchasing an additional 17,854 shares during the period. Finally, Norinchukin Bank The boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 15.1% during the fourth quarter. Norinchukin Bank The now owns 2,193 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,312,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Loop Capital reduced their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of 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. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 27th. One 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 issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,080.38.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 2.7%

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded up $26.5310 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $1,020.6010. The company's stock had a trading volume of 333,372 shares, compared to its average volume of 353,355. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $1,017.89 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,020.22. 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 market capitalization of $48.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.90, a P/E/G ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 2.82 and a quick ratio of 1.64.

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

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 11th will be given a $2.26 dividend. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is presently 22.94%.

W.W. Grainger 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.