KeyCorp Estimates W.W. Grainger's FY2026 Earnings (NYSE:GWW)

Key Points

• KeyCorp raised its FY2026 EPS estimate for W.W. Grainger to $45.55 from $43.34, slightly above the current consensus of $45.40. The firm also projected Q1 2027 EPS of $12.71.
• Grainger’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of $11.65 versus the $10.21 estimate and revenue of $4.74 billion versus $4.58 billion expected. Management also lifted FY2026 guidance to 44.25-46.25 EPS.
• The company increased its quarterly dividend to $2.49 per share from $2.26, lifting the annualized payout to $9.96. However, recent insider selling by executives may be a point of caution for investors.

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at KeyCorp increased their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of W.W. Grainger in a report issued on Thursday, May 7th. KeyCorp analyst K. Newman now anticipates that the industrial products company will earn $45.55 per share for the year, up from their previous forecast of $43.34. The consensus estimate for W.W. Grainger's current full-year earnings is $45.40 per share. KeyCorp also issued estimates for W.W. Grainger's Q1 2027 earnings at $12.71 EPS.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $11.65 earnings per share 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 return on equity of 47.87% and a net margin of 9.70%.W.W. Grainger's revenue was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $9.86 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 44.250-46.250 EPS.

GWW has been the topic of several other reports. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,250.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,170.00 to $1,337.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Barclays lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,047.00 to $1,171.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Stephens lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,300.00 to $1,355.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,199.13.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

NYSE:GWW opened at $1,282.80 on Friday. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $1,133.04 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1,068.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $60.56 billion, a PE ratio of 34.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.60, a current ratio of 2.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. W.W. Grainger has a twelve month low of $906.52 and a twelve month high of $1,286.56.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 854 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,231.06, for a total value of $1,051,325.24. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 1,554 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,913,067.24. The trade was a 35.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 1,457 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,232.29, for a total value 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 ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 6,451 shares of company stock valued at $7,380,743 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 6.30% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GWW. Accredited Investors Inc. bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 211.1% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Harbor Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 314.3% in the 4th quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 29 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More W.W. Grainger News

Here are the key news stories impacting W.W. Grainger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp raised several earnings estimates for W.W. Grainger, including Q2 2026, Q3 2026, Q4 2026, Q2 2027, Q3 2027, and FY2027, reflecting improved expectations for future profitability.
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s recent quarterly results beat Wall Street forecasts, and management increased full-year sales guidance, reinforcing the view that business demand remains solid.
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also digesting post-earnings commentary, with analysts focusing on the company’s margin trends, demand outlook, and guidance sustainability. WW Grainger’s Q1 earnings call: Our top 5 analyst questions
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider sales by several executives, including VP Paige K. Robbins, SVP Jonny M. Leroy, and VP Laurie R. Thomson, may create some caution for investors even though the transactions were disclosed and could reflect routine portfolio activity.

About W.W. Grainger

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.