W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) Coverage Initiated at Barclays

Key Points

• Barclays initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger with an "underweight" rating and a price target of $963.00, suggesting a minimal potential upside of 0.37% from the current stock price.
• Several analysts, including JPMorgan Chase and Loop Capital, have adjusted their price targets downwards, indicating caution in the market regarding the company's stock performance.
• W.W. Grainger's latest earnings report showed a miss on EPS estimates, reporting $9.97 per share against a consensus of $10.07, although revenues increased compared to the previous year.

Equities research analysts at Barclays began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm set an "underweight" rating and a $963.00 price target on the industrial products company's stock. Barclays's price target would indicate a potential upside of 0.37% from the company's current price.

GWW has been the topic of several other research reports. 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 reduced their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Saturday, September 27th. Morgan Stanley decreased 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 report on Friday, July 11th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased 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 report on Monday, August 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,073.88.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.1%

GWW opened at $959.41 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The company has a market capitalization of $45.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.34, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.17. The stock's fifty day moving average is $984.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,016.96. W.W. Grainger has a 52 week low of $893.99 and a 52 week high of $1,227.66.

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 the consensus estimate of $10.07 by ($0.10). The company had revenue of $4.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $9.76 EPS. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 38.500-40.250 EPS. Analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In other W.W. Grainger news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $992.86, for a total transaction of $496,430.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 1,771 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,758,355.06. This represents a 22.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 6.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Montecito Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,568,000. Spring Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.9% in the third quarter. Spring Capital Management LLC now owns 8,470 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $8,072,000 after purchasing an additional 235 shares in the last quarter. Northside Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 21.8% in the third quarter. Northside Capital Management LLC now owns 872 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $831,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 3.8% in the third quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 631 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $601,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oak Thistle LLC grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 40.8% in the third quarter. Oak Thistle LLC now owns 3,082 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,937,000 after purchasing an additional 893 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

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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