Q2 EPS Estimates for W.W. Grainger Lifted by Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research slightly raised its Q2 2026 EPS estimate for W.W. Grainger to $10.88 from $10.86, while the consensus full-year earnings estimate stands at $45.45 per share.
• W.W. Grainger recently beat earnings and revenue expectations, reporting $11.65 EPS on $4.74 billion in revenue versus estimates of $10.21 and $4.58 billion, respectively. The company also reaffirmed FY 2026 guidance of 44.25 to 46.25 EPS.
• The stock has seen mixed analyst sentiment, with an average Hold rating and average price target of $1,216.44, even as shares traded near $1,369.66 and the company raised its quarterly dividend to $2.49 per share.

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) - Analysts at Zacks Research lifted their Q2 2026 EPS estimates for W.W. Grainger in a research report issued on Wednesday, July 15th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the industrial products company will post earnings of $10.88 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $10.86. The consensus estimate for W.W. Grainger's current full-year earnings is $45.45 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for W.W. Grainger's Q2 2028 earnings at $13.57 EPS.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on GWW. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,170.00 to $1,337.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Wall Street Zen raised W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 23rd. Weiss Ratings cut W.W. Grainger from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. DA Davidson assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $1,250.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,171.00 to $1,166.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,216.44.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

NYSE GWW opened at $1,369.66 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $64.66 billion, a PE ratio of 36.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.03. The firm's 50 day moving average is $1,305.76 and its 200-day moving average is $1,174.54. 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 12-month low of $906.52 and a 12-month high of $1,405.72.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $11.65 EPS 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 analysts' expectations of $4.58 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 9.70% and a return on equity of 47.87%. The firm's revenue was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $9.86 EPS. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 44.250-46.250 EPS.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th were issued a dividend of $2.49 per share. This is a boost from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $2.26. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 11th. This represents a $9.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is currently 26.79%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 313 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,231.69, for a total transaction of $385,518.97. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 399 shares in the company, valued at $491,444.31. This represents a 43.96% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 854 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,231.06, for a total transaction of $1,051,325.24. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 1,554 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,913,067.24. The trade was a 35.47% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,624 shares of company stock worth $3,232,291. Corporate insiders own 6.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of W.W. Grainger

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GWW. Miller Capital Partners Inc. bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC grew its position 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 buying an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 420.0% in the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 26 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.

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