W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Receives Average Recommendation of "Hold" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: Eight analysts give W.W. Grainger a consensus "Hold" rating (1 sell, 5 hold, 2 buy) with an average 12‑month price target of $1,118.14.
• Earnings & guidance: Q4 EPS was $9.45 (missed by $0.01) while revenue beat at $4.43B, and the company set FY2026 guidance of 42.25–44.75 EPS (analysts expect 43.61).
• Dividend increase: Grainger raised its quarterly dividend to $2.49 (annualized $9.96), yielding 0.9%, with an ex‑dividend date of May 11 and payment on June 1.

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Hold" by the eight research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have issued a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $1,118.1429.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Barclays increased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,044.00 to $1,047.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Oppenheimer increased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,250.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Weiss Ratings upgraded W.W. Grainger from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,190.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW stock opened at $1,149.67 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $54.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.04. The business's 50 day moving average is $1,118.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,052.14. The company has a current ratio of 2.83, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. W.W. Grainger has a 12-month low of $906.52 and a 12-month high of $1,218.63.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The industrial products company reported $9.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $9.46 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $4.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.39 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 47.46% and a net margin of 9.51%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $9.71 EPS. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 42.250-44.750 EPS. Analysts expect that W.W. Grainger will post 43.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th will be given a $2.49 dividend. This represents a $9.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. This is a boost from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $2.26. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 11th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.54%.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In other news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 2,339 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,064.73, for a total value of $2,490,403.47. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 10,235 shares in the company, valued at $10,897,511.55. This trade represents a 18.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 6.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Accredited Investors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Miller Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 211.1% in the third 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. purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Harbor Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 314.3% in the fourth 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. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

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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