Zacks Research Issues Positive Estimate for Graco Earnings

Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG) – Analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Graco in a report released on Friday, April 17th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the industrial products company will earn $0.75 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $0.74. The consensus estimate for Graco’s current full-year earnings is $3.19 per share.

Graco (NYSE:GGG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 26th. The industrial products company reported $0.77 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.77. The firm had revenue of $593.16 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $591.99 million. Graco had a return on equity of 19.49% and a net margin of 23.33%.Graco’s quarterly revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.64 earnings per share.

GGG has been the topic of several other research reports. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $85.00 target price on shares of Graco in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Graco from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. KeyCorp reissued a “sector weight” rating on shares of Graco in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Robert W. Baird set a $96.00 price objective on Graco in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on Graco from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Graco currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $96.50.

Graco Stock Performance

Graco stock opened at $87.28 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.09. Graco has a fifty-two week low of $77.18 and a fifty-two week high of $95.69. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $88.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $85.50.

Graco Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Monday, April 13th will be given a dividend of $0.295 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 13th. This represents a $1.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. Graco’s dividend payout ratio is 38.19%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director J Kevin Gilligan sold 12,870 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.07, for a total transaction of $1,146,330.90. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Kathryn L. Schoenrock sold 2,223 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.06, for a total value of $195,757.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,846 shares in the company, valued at approximately $690,918.76. This trade represents a 22.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 19,394 shares of company stock valued at $1,739,326. 2.18% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Graco

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Graco during the 4th quarter valued at about $161,949,000. Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in shares of Graco by 1,636.9% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,011,196 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $82,888,000 after buying an additional 952,977 shares during the period. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec raised its holdings in shares of Graco by 236.4% during the 3rd quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 1,279,553 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $108,711,000 after buying an additional 899,174 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in shares of Graco by 20,706.4% during the 4th 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 period. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Graco by 116.8% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 735,146 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $63,201,000 after buying an additional 396,125 shares during the period. 93.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Graco News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Graco this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Consensus full?year EPS remains near $3.19, indicating analysts still expect solid underlying profitability for Graco; that stable consensus provides some support for the stock. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Graco (GGG) Q1 Earnings, Beyond Revenue and EPS
• Neutral Sentiment: Market attention is focused on Graco’s upcoming Q1 report — analysts and investors will be watching revenue/mix, margins, orders/backlog and any management commentary on end?market demand and pricing. The preview frames the report as the near?term catalyst. What To Expect From Graco’s (GGG) Q1 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research issued a series of modest downward revisions (report dated Apr 17) across several quarters and fiscal years — e.g., Q4 2026 EPS cut to $0.82 (from $0.84), Q1 2027 to $0.73 (from $0.74), Q4 2027 to $0.97 (from $0.98), Q1 2028 to $0.90 (from $0.94) and FY2028 to $4.04 (from $4.15). Those trims signal slightly weaker expected growth/seasonality and could weigh on sentiment if Q1 details disappoint. (Source: Zacks Research summaries)

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.