Key Points
- W.W. Grainger SVP Jonny Leroy sold 854 shares on May 12 for about $1.05 million, reducing his holdings by 35.47% to 1,554 shares. The sale was disclosed in an SEC filing.
- The company posted strong quarterly results, with EPS of $11.65 beating estimates and revenue of $4.74 billion topping expectations. Grainger also raised its full-year sales guidance and FY2026 EPS outlook.
- Grainger increased its quarterly dividend to $2.49 per share from $2.26, signaling a higher payout to shareholders. The new annualized dividend is $9.96 per share, representing a yield of about 0.8%.
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) VP Laurie Thomson sold 313 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owned 399 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $491,444.31. This trade represents a 43.96% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.
W.W. Grainger Stock Up 2.4%
GWW stock opened at $1,282.80 on Friday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $906.52 and a one year high of $1,286.56. The firm has a market cap of $60.56 billion, a PE ratio of 34.50, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.04. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $1,133.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,068.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 1.60 and a current ratio of 2.69.
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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $10.21 by $1.44. The company had revenue of $4.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 47.87% and a net margin of 9.70%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $9.86 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 44.250-46.250 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 45.4 EPS for the current year.
W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th will be issued a dividend of $2.49 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 11th. This represents a $9.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. This is a boost from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $2.26. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.79%.
Trending Headlines about W.W. Grainger
Here are the key news stories impacting W.W. Grainger this week:
- Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp raised several earnings estimates for W.W. Grainger, including Q2 2026, Q3 2026, Q4 2026, Q2 2027, Q3 2027, and FY2027, reflecting improved expectations for future profitability.
- Positive Sentiment: The company’s recent quarterly results beat Wall Street forecasts, and management increased full-year sales guidance, reinforcing the view that business demand remains solid.
- Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also digesting post-earnings commentary, with analysts focusing on the company’s margin trends, demand outlook, and guidance sustainability. WW Grainger’s Q1 earnings call: Our top 5 analyst questions
- Negative Sentiment: Recent insider sales by several executives, including VP Paige K. Robbins, SVP Jonny M. Leroy, and VP Laurie R. Thomson, may create some caution for investors even though the transactions were disclosed and could reflect routine portfolio activity.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
GWW has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,052.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,190.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,170.00 to $1,337.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,250.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,199.13.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on GWW
Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.W. Grainger
Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Accredited Investors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 211.1% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the period. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Harbor Investment Advisory LLC raised its position 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 purchasing an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.
W.W. Grainger Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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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