Zacks Research Predicts Increased Earnings for W.W. Grainger

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) – Analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q4 2026 earnings estimates for shares of W.W. Grainger in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, October 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the industrial products company will post earnings of $10.77 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $10.74. The consensus estimate for W.W. Grainger’s current full-year earnings is $46.27 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for W.W. Grainger’s Q3 2027 earnings at $12.85 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $12.51 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $50.53 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $12.86 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $13.91 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $14.22 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $54.59 EPS.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on GWW. Stephens downgraded W.W. Grainger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $1,355.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Wolfe Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, September 15th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Barclays decreased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,185.00 to $1,172.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,250.00 to $1,260.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,428.00 to $1,427.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,253.85.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 0.3%

NYSE GWW opened at $1,329.24 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $1,291.09 and a 200-day moving average of $1,275.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $62.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.01. W.W. Grainger has a 52 week low of $906.52 and a 52 week high of $1,419.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 1.70 and a current ratio of 2.81.

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

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th were issued a $2.49 dividend. This represents a $9.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 25.40%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of GWW. Wealth Enhancement Trust Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 44.5% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Trust Services Inc. now owns 1,120 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,395,000 after purchasing an additional 345 shares during the period. Polaris Financial Partners acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the third quarter worth $125,000. CX Institutional increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 2.6% in the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 1,187 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,479,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 0.6% in the third quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust now owns 1,553 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,935,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Finally, QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 13.8% in the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,851 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $3,879,000 after buying an additional 345 shares during the period. 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 earnings forecasts across multiple periods. Estimates increased for Q4 2026 to $10.77 from $10.74, FY2027 to $50.53 from $50.46, and FY2028 to $54.59 from $54.48. Quarterly estimates were also lifted for Q3 2027, Q1-Q3 2028. The revisions signal slightly improved expectations for Grainger’s future profitability. Zacks DuPont analysis article
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks highlighted GWW as a potential industrial-services investment. A comparison with Global Industrial does not represent a formal rating change, but it keeps Grainger on investors’ screens as a quality or value candidate within the sector. GIC versus GWW article
• Negative Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada trimmed its price target. RBC lowered the target to $1,427 from $1,428 and maintained a “sector perform” rating. Although the revised target still implied roughly 7.4% upside based on the referenced $1,329.24 price, the minimal reduction indicates limited near-term conviction rather than a strong bullish catalyst. Benzinga report

W.W. Grainger Company Profile

W.W. Grainger, Inc is a distributor of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products and related services. The company serves businesses, government organizations and other institutions that need supplies to maintain facilities, equipment and operations.

Its product offerings include tools, safety equipment, cleaning and maintenance supplies, material-handling products, electrical and plumbing components, lighting, heating and cooling equipment, and other industrial and facility-management products.