Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Decreases Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lowered its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 4.2% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,300 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 100 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,393,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fiduciary Alliance LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the second quarter worth about $274,000. Pure Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the second quarter worth about $287,000. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 128.8% during the second quarter. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG now owns 2,128 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,214,000 after acquiring an additional 1,198 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 7.5% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 15,989 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $15,795,000 after acquiring an additional 1,120 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 1,685.7% during the first quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 125 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $123,000 after acquiring an additional 118 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

NYSE:GWW opened at $946.61 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $981.31 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,016.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 2.82 and a quick ratio of 1.64. The firm has a market cap of $45.28 billion, a PE ratio of 24.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.17. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $893.99 and a 1-year high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.07 by ($0.10). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.99% and a return on equity of 49.63%. The firm had revenue of $4.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.52 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $9.76 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 38.500-40.250 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 11th were issued a $2.26 dividend. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is presently 22.94%.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In related news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $992.86, for a total value of $496,430.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 1,771 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,758,355.06. The trade was a 22.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 6.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GWW has been the subject of a number of research reports. Loop Capital cut their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday. They set an “underweight” rating and a $963.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,035.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, September 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,073.88.

W.W. Grainger Company Profile

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.