W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW Stock Position Cut by PNC Financial Services Group Inc.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. trimmed its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 1.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 48,867 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 637 shares during the quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. owned about 0.10% of W.W. Grainger worth $50,833,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in GWW. Fiduciary Alliance LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at $274,000. Pure Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the second quarter worth about $287,000. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 128.8% during the second quarter. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG now owns 2,128 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,214,000 after acquiring an additional 1,198 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 7.5% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 15,989 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $15,795,000 after acquiring an additional 1,120 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 7.8% in the 2nd quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 19,712 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $20,455,000 after acquiring an additional 1,428 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In related news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $992.86, for a total transaction of $496,430.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 1,771 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,758,355.06. This trade represents a 22.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 6.10% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $934.58 on Friday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $893.99 and a 12 month high of $1,227.44. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The stock has a market cap of $44.44 billion, a PE ratio of 23.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.17. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $967.77 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,012.89.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $10.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.95 by $0.26. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 49.63% and a net margin of 10.99%.The firm had revenue of $4.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $9.87 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 39.000-39.750 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 10th will be given a $2.26 dividend. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is 25.35%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on GWW. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,006.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Barclays increased their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $963.00 to $975.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,035.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Loop Capital decreased their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $975.00 price target on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,018.00.

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.