UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Reduces Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC cut its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 13.6% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 551,392 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 86,955 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $750,114,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. now owns 483 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $487,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares during the period. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 788 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $795,000 after buying an additional 9 shares during the period. Sawyer & Company Inc increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Sawyer & Company Inc now owns 676 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $682,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC now owns 305 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $308,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the period. Finally, Andina Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Andina Capital Management LLC now owns 404 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $408,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $1,305.72 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $61.50 billion, a PE ratio of 33.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.04. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $906.52 and a 1 year high of $1,419.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 2.81 and a quick ratio of 1.70. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $1,342.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,234.83.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $12.01 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $11.30 by $0.71. The business had revenue of $5.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.96 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 9.92% and a return on equity of 48.73%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $9.97 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 45.500-47.250 EPS. Analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 46.17 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th will be paid a dividend of $2.49 per share. This represents a $9.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 10th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is presently 25.40%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on GWW. Wall Street Zen upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, August 9th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,166.00 to $1,185.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,350.00 to $1,375.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,460.00 to $1,428.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,286.62.

More W.W. Grainger News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded GWW to a No. 2 (Buy) rank, citing growing optimism about the company’s earnings prospects. Zacks rating upgrade article
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple future EPS estimates, including FY2027 to $50.40 from $50.21 and FY2028 to $54.37 from $54.17. Estimates were also increased for Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q4 2027 and Q2 2028, suggesting modestly improving expectations for profitability. MarketBeat analyst estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Grainger’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with EPS of $12.01 versus the $11.30 consensus and revenue of $5.02 billion versus $4.96 billion. Revenue increased 10.3% year over year, supporting the case for continued earnings growth.
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street commentary is mixed: GWW has outperformed the broader market over the past year, but analysts remain cautious about its future upside. Barchart analyst outlook article
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation may be limiting enthusiasm. Grainger trades at roughly 33 times earnings, while its shares are below the 50-day moving average after approaching a 12-month high. Investors may be taking profits or demanding stronger estimate increases before bidding the stock higher. MSN analyst outlook article

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.