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

KBC Group NV decreased its position in Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG) by 16.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 35,311 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 7,125 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Graco were worth $2,989,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in Graco by 15.6% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 330,409 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $27,592,000 after buying an additional 44,573 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Graco by 982.6% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 498 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 452 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Graco by 97.2% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,765 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $152,000 after purchasing an additional 870 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP raised its holdings in Graco by 559.5% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 108,100 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $9,293,000 after purchasing an additional 91,708 shares during the period. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its position in Graco by 4.2% during the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 21,289 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,830,000 after purchasing an additional 852 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.88% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Graco

In other news, Director Andrea Helen Simon acquired 1,240 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $80.53 per share, with a total value of $99,857.20. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 1,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $99,857.20. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 2.18% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Graco News Summary

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 Price Performance

Shares of GGG opened at $79.43 on Friday. Graco Inc. has a 1 year low of $72.51 and a 1 year high of $95.69. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $75.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $82.66. The firm has a market cap of $12.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.93.

Graco (NYSE:GGG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The industrial products company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.81 by $0.10. The company 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%. Graco’s quarterly revenue was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.75 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Graco Inc. will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Graco Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.295 per share. This represents a $1.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 20th. Graco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.44%.

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.