Zacks Research Cuts Earnings Estimates for W.W. Grainger

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) – Analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of W.W. Grainger in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, August 13th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the industrial products company will earn $10.38 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $10.67. The consensus estimate for W.W. Grainger’s current full-year earnings is $40.30 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for W.W. Grainger’s FY2026 earnings at $43.08 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $11.28 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $47.07 EPS.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 company posted $9.76 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on GWW. Loop Capital dropped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 4th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,080.38.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.4%

NYSE GWW opened at $970.60 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 2.82. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $1,025.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,022.01. The company has a market cap of $46.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger has a one year low of $893.99 and a one year high of $1,227.66.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 486 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $480,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the period. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 3.2% in the 1st quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 323 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $319,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 1,139 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,125,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Grove Bank & Trust raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 52.6% in the 2nd quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 29 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ridgewood Investments LLC raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 50.0% in the 2nd quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 30 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In other news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,075.20, for a total transaction of $301,056.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 3,369 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,622,348.80. This represents a 7.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 6.10% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 11th will be issued a dividend of $2.26 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 11th. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.94%.

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.