FY2024 EPS Estimates for W.W. Grainger Boosted by Analyst

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) – Analysts at Zacks Research upped their FY2024 earnings per share estimates for W.W. Grainger in a note issued to investors on Thursday, November 14th. Zacks Research analyst S. Deb now forecasts that the industrial products company will post earnings per share of $38.94 for the year, up from their previous forecast of $38.79. The consensus estimate for W.W. Grainger’s current full-year earnings is $38.92 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for W.W. Grainger’s Q4 2024 earnings at $9.69 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $10.89 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $41.68 EPS.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Northcoast Research initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Robert W. Baird raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Loop Capital upped their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,086.50.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of GWW opened at $1,178.33 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $1,078.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $988.96. W.W. Grainger has a twelve month low of $772.13 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.38 billion, a PE ratio of 31.94, a P/E/G ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.15.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.98 by ($0.11). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 51.78% and a net margin of 10.80%. The firm had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.40 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $9.43 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. HWG Holdings LP purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter worth $42,000. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 537.5% in the 1st quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 51 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total transaction of $778,335.36. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 9,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,513,055.31. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total value of $10,705,553.68. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 4,379 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,895,021.36. This trade represents a 68.62 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 50,900 shares of company stock valued at $52,640,733 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 11th will be paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.70%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is currently 22.23%.

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.