Q3 EPS Estimates for W.W. Grainger Decreased by Analyst

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research cut their Q3 2026 EPS estimates for W.W. Grainger in a note issued to investors on Monday, August 17th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the industrial products company will post earnings of $11.46 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $11.64. The consensus estimate for W.W. Grainger’s current full-year earnings is $46.10 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for W.W. Grainger’s Q3 2027 earnings at $12.77 EPS.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Stephens cut shares of W.W. Grainger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $1,355.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,250.00 to $1,260.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Wall Street Zen raised W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, August 9th. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from an “underperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,274.12.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

GWW stock opened at $1,305.38 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $61.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.04. W.W. Grainger has a 1 year low of $906.52 and a 1 year high of $1,419.91. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,345.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,227.41. 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $12.01 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $11.30 by $0.71. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 48.73% and a net margin of 9.92%.The business had revenue of $5.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $9.97 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 45.500-47.250 EPS.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $6,303,024,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1,462.1% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,071,854 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,081,554,000 after acquiring an additional 1,003,237 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at $518,958,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at about $621,127,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 34,269.9% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 435,466 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $439,407,000 after acquiring an additional 434,199 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its earnings forecasts across multiple periods. Estimates increased for FY2026 EPS to $45.85 from $44.87, FY2027 EPS to $50.21 from $49.47, and FY2028 EPS to $54.17 from $53.10. Quarterly estimates were also lifted, including Q1 2027 to $12.29, Q2 2027 to $12.72, and Q2 2028 to $13.83. The revisions indicate improving analyst expectations for Grainger’s long-term earnings growth. Zacks Research estimates for W.W. Grainger
• Positive Sentiment: Grainger opened a new Northwest Distribution Center in Gresham, Oregon. The facility expands the company’s distribution infrastructure, builds on its more than 80-year presence in Oregon, supports local employment and strengthens community partnerships. Additional capacity could help Grainger serve customers more efficiently, although the company did not disclose a specific near-term financial contribution. Grainger opens Northwest Distribution Center in Gresham, Oregon
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and technical factors may be tempering the positive news. Grainger trades at roughly 33 times earnings, with shares below their 50-day moving average and near the upper end of their one-year range. Investors may therefore be taking profits or demanding stronger near-term catalysts, even as the company recently exceeded quarterly EPS and revenue expectations and maintained FY2026 guidance of $45.50–$47.25 per share.

About W.W. Grainger

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.