Zacks Research Forecasts Higher Earnings for W.W. Grainger

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its Q2 2026 EPS estimate for W.W. Grainger to $10.86 from $10.63, signaling improved near-term earnings expectations. The firm also lifted estimates for later quarters and FY2027, pointing to continued profit growth.
• Grainger recently beat Wall Street’s quarterly expectations, reporting $11.65 EPS versus the $10.21 consensus and revenue of $4.74 billion versus $4.58 billion expected. The company also increased its FY2026 guidance to 44.25-46.25 EPS.
• The stock remains broadly viewed as a Hold by analysts, with an average price target of $1,199.13, while the shares were trading around $1,247.95. Grainger also raised its quarterly dividend to $2.49 from $2.26.

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) - Stock analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q2 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, May 21st. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the industrial products company will post earnings per share of $10.86 for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $10.63. The consensus estimate for W.W. Grainger's current full-year earnings is $45.35 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for W.W. Grainger's Q3 2026 earnings at $11.63 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $10.69 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $44.83 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $11.90 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $12.43 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $12.84 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $12.21 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $49.39 EPS.

A number of other equities research analysts have also commented on GWW. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective 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. Weiss Ratings raised W.W. Grainger from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Oppenheimer raised 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 note on Wednesday, February 4th. Barclays raised their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,047.00 to $1,171.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, 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 research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,199.13.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE GWW opened at $1,247.95 on Monday. W.W. Grainger has a one year low of $906.52 and a one year high of $1,286.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.92 billion, a PE ratio of 33.57, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a current ratio of 2.69, a quick ratio of 1.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $1,148.54 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $1,080.20.

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

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th will be paid a $2.49 dividend. This represents a $9.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 11th. This is a positive change from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $2.26. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.79%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 1,457 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,232.29, for a total value of $1,795,446.53. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 2,232 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,750,471.28. This trade represents a 39.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 854 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,231.06, for a total value of $1,051,325.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 1,554 shares in the company, valued at $1,913,067.24. The trade was a 35.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 6,451 shares of company stock valued at $7,380,743 over the last 90 days. 6.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GWW. Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 211.1% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in 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. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting W.W. Grainger

Here are the key news stories impacting W.W. Grainger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS estimate for W.W. Grainger to $44.83 from $42.84, suggesting stronger near-term earnings momentum. W.W. Grainger stock page
• Positive Sentiment: The analyst also boosted FY2027 EPS to $49.39 from $48.13, reinforcing expectations for continued profit growth over the next year. W.W. Grainger stock page
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly estimates were increased for Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q3 2027, Q4 2027, Q2 2026, and Q4 2026, which may support sentiment around the company’s earnings trajectory. W.W. Grainger stock page

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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