Entropy Technologies LP Invests $1.08 Million in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 993 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,083,000.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of GWW. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. now owns 483 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $487,000 after buying an additional 9 shares during the period. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $795,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares during the period. Sawyer & Company Inc raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Sawyer & Company Inc now owns 676 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $682,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 3.4% in the 4th quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC now owns 305 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $308,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Andina Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Andina Capital Management LLC now owns 404 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $408,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In related news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 854 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,231.06, for a total value of $1,051,325.24. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 1,554 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,913,067.24. This represents a 35.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 313 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,231.69, for a total value of $385,518.97. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 399 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $491,444.31. This trade represents a 43.96% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 2,624 shares of company stock valued at $3,232,291 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 6.30% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on GWW. Sanford C. Bernstein raised 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 report on Tuesday, April 21st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Stephens downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $1,355.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,190.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,230.11.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,397.48 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $1,326.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,194.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.59, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.60, a current ratio of 2.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $906.52 and a 52 week high of $1,419.91.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its earnings results 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 9.70% and a return on equity of 47.87%. The company had revenue of $4.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $9.86 EPS. W.W. Grainger’s revenue was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 44.250-46.250 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 45.46 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th were issued a dividend of $2.49 per share. This represents a $9.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from W.W. Grainger’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.26. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 11th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.79%.

About W.W. Grainger

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.