Voleon Capital Management LP Sells 1,139 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Voleon Capital Management LP reduced its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. by 15.1%, now holding 6,389 shares worth approximately $6.31 million.
• During the first quarter, several institutional investors, including Goldman Sachs and MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS, increased their holdings in W.W. Grainger, indicating strong institutional interest.
• W.W. Grainger reported $9.97 EPS for its latest quarter, missing expectations, but its revenue rose 5.6% year-over-year, reaching $4.55 billion.

Voleon Capital Management LP decreased its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 15.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,389 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,139 shares during the quarter. Voleon Capital Management LP's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $6,311,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of GWW. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.1% in the first quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 486 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $480,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the period. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 3.2% in the 1st quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 323 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $319,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Hemington Wealth Management grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 1,139 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,125,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Crew Capital Management Ltd. grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 4.7% during the 1st quarter. Crew Capital Management Ltd. now owns 270 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $267,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 12 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $992.86, for a total value of $496,430.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 1,771 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,758,355.06. The trade was a 22.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded up $21.26 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $1,015.32. 362,349 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 290,564. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 2.82. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $893.99 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $1,010.11 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,018.69. The company has a market capitalization of $48.56 billion, a PE ratio of 25.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced 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). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 49.63% and a net margin of 10.99%.The firm had revenue of $4.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.52 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $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, research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced 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 22.94%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

About W.W. Grainger

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.