W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW Shares Bought by Aptus Capital Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. by 75.7%, now holding 810 shares valued at approximately $800,000.
• The company reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $9.97, which was below analysts' expectations of $10.07, despite a 5.6% increase in revenue year-over-year.
• W.W. Grainger announced a quarterly dividend of $2.26 payable on September 1st, with an annualized dividend yield of 0.9%.

Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 75.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 810 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 349 shares during the quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $800,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of GWW. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Investment Management Corp VA ADV acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its position 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 worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth about $54,000. Finally, Columbia River Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter worth about $65,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on GWW. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped 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 report on Tuesday, May 27th. Loop Capital lowered 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 report on Monday, August 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered 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 report on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered 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 report on Friday, July 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,080.38.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW traded up $26.5310 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $1,020.6010. The stock had a trading volume of 333,372 shares, compared to its average volume of 353,355. The firm has a market cap of $48.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.90, a PEG ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a current ratio of 2.82, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $893.99 and a fifty-two week high of $1,227.66. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $1,017.89 and a 200-day moving average of $1,020.22.

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

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

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

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.