W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded W.W. Grainger from “buy” to “hold.” The broader analyst consensus is also “Hold,” with two Buy, eight Hold, and one Sell rating, and an average price target of $1,230.11.
• Grainger reported a strong quarter, posting EPS of $11.65 versus the $10.21 consensus estimate and revenue of $4.74 billion, up 10.1% year over year. The company provided fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $44.25–$46.25.
• Shares opened at $1,385.45, up 2.2%, near the company’s 52-week high of $1,419.91. Meanwhile, insiders sold 2,624 shares worth approximately $3.23 million over the past 90 days.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

GWW has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,052.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. DA Davidson started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $1,250.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,337.00 to $1,460.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Barclays lowered their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,171.00 to $1,166.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Stephens cut W.W. Grainger from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and set a $1,355.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,230.11.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 2.2%

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $1,385.45 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $65.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.26, a P/E/G ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 1.03. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $1,336.47 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,203.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 2.69 and a quick ratio of 1.60. W.W. Grainger has a 1-year low of $906.52 and a 1-year high of $1,419.91.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $11.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $10.21 by $1.44. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 9.70% and a return on equity of 47.87%. The company had revenue of $4.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $9.86 EPS. W.W. Grainger's revenue for the quarter was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 44.250-46.250 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that W.W. Grainger will post 45.46 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 1,457 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,232.29, for a total transaction of $1,795,446.53. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 2,232 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,750,471.28. This represents a 39.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 313 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the vice president owned 399 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $491,444.31. The trade was a 43.96% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 2,624 shares of company stock valued at $3,232,291 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 6.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of W.W. Grainger

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Miller Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 420.0% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 26 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth $35,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Company Profile

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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