William Blair Comments on W.W. Grainger, Inc.’s Q4 2024 Earnings (NYSE:GWW)

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) – Research analysts at William Blair raised their Q4 2024 earnings per share estimates for W.W. Grainger in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, October 8th. William Blair analyst R. Merkel now expects that the industrial products company will earn $9.31 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $9.16. The consensus estimate for W.W. Grainger’s current full-year earnings is $38.65 per share.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on GWW. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Friday, June 14th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, September 6th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Monday, October 7th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 target price for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,005.20.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 5.8 %

NYSE:GWW opened at $1,085.04 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.30 and a quick ratio of 1.40. W.W. Grainger has a one year low of $674.41 and a one year high of $1,088.84. The company has a market cap of $52.98 billion, a PE ratio of 29.77, a PEG ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 1.16. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $994.06 and a 200-day moving average of $961.00.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.58 by $0.18. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.86% and a return on equity of 53.25%. The business had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $9.28 EPS. W.W. Grainger’s quarterly revenue was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th were issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.76%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.50%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total value of $13,481,538.56. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 98,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total transaction of $27,524,551.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 111,559 shares in the company, valued at approximately $111,650,478.38. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total value of $13,481,538.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 98,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 170.0% in the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares during the period. HWG Holdings LP purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 225.0% during the first quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 39 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the period. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the first quarter worth about $41,000. Institutional investors 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.