KBC Group NV Sells 7,125 Shares of Graco Inc. $GGG

KBC Group NV cut its stake in shares of Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG) by 16.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 35,311 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 7,125 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Graco were worth $2,989,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of GGG. AE Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Graco by 32.7% during the 4th quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 398,336 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $32,652,000 after purchasing an additional 98,141 shares during the period. Comerica Bank boosted its position in shares of Graco by 54.1% during the fourth quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 172,328 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $14,126,000 after buying an additional 60,486 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of Graco by 20,706.4% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 556,362 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $45,605,000 after buying an additional 553,688 shares during the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its holdings in shares of Graco by 294.4% in the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 297,787 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $24,410,000 after buying an additional 222,279 shares during the period. Finally, Oxbow Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Graco during the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,157,000. Institutional investors own 93.88% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on GGG. Wolfe Research downgraded Graco from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Graco from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Robert W. Baird set a $94.00 price objective on shares of Graco in a research report on Friday. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $85.00 target price on shares of Graco in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Graco from $92.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $95.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Andrea Helen Simon bought 1,240 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $80.53 per share, for a total transaction of $99,857.20. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 1,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $99,857.20. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 2.18% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Graco Price Performance

Shares of Graco stock opened at $79.43 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $12.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.98, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.93. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $75.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $82.66. Graco Inc. has a 1 year low of $72.51 and a 1 year high of $95.69.

Graco (NYSE:GGG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The industrial products company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.81 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $590.55 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $608.06 million. Graco had a net margin of 23.53% and a return on equity of 19.54%. The company’s revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.75 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Graco Inc. will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Graco Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Monday, July 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.295 per share. This represents a $1.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. Graco’s dividend payout ratio is 38.44%.

Key Stories Impacting Graco

Here are the key news stories impacting Graco this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Graco posted record second-quarter sales and operating earnings, while adjusted EPS of $0.91 beat expectations, helping fuel buying in the stock. Graco (GGG) On Record Q2 Earnings And The Case For More Upside
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s third-quarter sales guidance and reaffirmed full-year outlook signaled confidence in demand trends, backlog growth, and a stronger second half. Graco Inc. Signals Stronger Second Half Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target on Graco to $96 from $92 and kept an outperform rating, reinforcing a bullish analyst view. Benzinga / The Fly analyst update
• Neutral Sentiment: William Blair maintained a Hold rating, saying improving orders and backlog are being offset by only modest near-term growth. Balanced Outlook for Graco
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles highlighted that revenue came in below some estimates even as profits and margins improved, making the earnings reaction more dependent on outlook than on top-line growth alone. Graco Surpasses Q2 Earnings Estimates, Reaffirms 2026 View

Graco Company Profile

Graco Inc is a leading manufacturer of fluid handling systems and components, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1926, the company has built a reputation for innovation in spray finishing, lubrication, and fluid management technologies. Graco’s solutions are designed to address the needs of paint and coatings applicators, general industry, and process fluids in a variety of end markets.

The company’s product portfolio includes airless and air-assisted spray equipment, pumps for oil and gas applications, industrial lubrication systems, and automated dispensing equipment.