Q3 EPS Estimates for W.W. Grainger Lowered by William Blair

Key Points

• William Blair has lowered its Q3 2026 earnings per share estimate for W.W. Grainger to $11.99, down from $12.02, with a consensus full-year estimate of $40.30 per share.
• Multiple analysts have reduced their target prices for Grainger, with Morgan Stanley dropping it to $1,160.00, reflecting a cautious outlook for the company.
• W.W. Grainger recently reported quarterly earnings of $9.97 EPS, missing estimates and reflecting a 5.6% increase in revenue compared to the previous year.

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) - William Blair decreased their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of W.W. Grainger in a report released on Monday, September 22nd. William Blair analyst R. Merkel now expects that the industrial products company will post earnings per share of $11.99 for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $12.02. The consensus estimate for W.W. Grainger's current full-year earnings is $40.30 per share.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price 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. Loop Capital dropped their target price 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. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,069.13.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

NYSE GWW opened at $954.74 on Thursday. W.W. Grainger has a one year low of $893.99 and a one year high of $1,227.66. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $999.46 and a 200 day moving average of $1,018.08. The company has a market capitalization of $45.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.23, a PEG ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 1.18. 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 (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 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 business had revenue of $4.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.52 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $9.76 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 38.500-40.250 EPS.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Caldwell Trust Co bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $219,000. Canal Capital Management LLC increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 5.7% in the 2nd quarter. Canal Capital Management LLC now owns 3,763 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $3,914,000 after acquiring an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 45.4% in the 2nd quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 442 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $460,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 8.6% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 11,107 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $11,581,000 after acquiring an additional 875 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 2,221 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,306,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

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 transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 1,771 shares of the company's stock, 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 accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

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

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.

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