W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 44.250-46.250 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 43.650. The company issued revenue guidance of $19.2 billion-$19.6 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $19.0 billion.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.1%

GWW traded down $0.70 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $1,233.40. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 303,295 shares, compared to its average volume of 272,632. W.W. Grainger has a 52-week low of $906.52 and a 52-week high of $1,286.56. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $1,121.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $1,058.34. The company has a current ratio of 2.83, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The firm has a market cap of $58.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.85, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.04.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $11.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $10.21 by $1.44. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 9.51% and a return on equity of 47.46%. The business had revenue of $4.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $9.86 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 44.250-46.250 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger will post 43.61 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 11th will be issued a $2.49 dividend. This is a boost from W.W. Grainger’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.26. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 11th. This represents a $9.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.14%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,250.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Barclays lifted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,044.00 to $1,047.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Weiss Ratings raised W.W. Grainger from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,170.00 to $1,337.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,052.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,159.14.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,488 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,114.28, for a total value of $1,658,048.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 10,541 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,745,625.48. This represents a 12.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 6.30% of the company’s stock.

More W.W. Grainger News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Grainger beat Wall Street expectations with Q1 EPS of $11.65 versus $10.21 expected, and revenue of $4.74 billion versus $4.58 billion expected, signaling stronger-than-anticipated demand. Grainger Reports Results for the First Quarter 2026
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its FY2026 guidance, now targeting EPS of $44.25 to $46.25 and revenue of $19.2 billion to $19.6 billion, above consensus estimates, which reinforces confidence in continued growth. Grainger Reports Results for the First Quarter 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted strong services demand, margin expansion, and robust performance across both business segments, while also announcing a 10% quarterly dividend increase and continued share repurchases. Grainger Reports Results for the First Quarter 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target on GWW to $1,337 from $1,170, but kept a “sector perform” rating, suggesting valuation upside is recognized but the firm remains cautious on near-term relative performance. Benzinga report on RBC price target increase

Institutional Investors Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 788 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $795,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares during the period. Summit Financial LLC raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. Summit Financial LLC now owns 312 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $315,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Widmann Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Widmann Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,025 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,034,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC now owns 226 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $228,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. Finally, L2 Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 6.6% in the fourth quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC now owns 226 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $228,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Company Profile

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.