W.W. Grainger (GWW) to Release Earnings on Thursday

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) will issue its quarterly earnings data before the market opens on Thursday, April 25th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $9.57 per share for the quarter. W.W. Grainger has set its FY24 guidance at $38.00-40.50 EPS and its FY 2024 guidance at 38.000-40.500 EPS.Parties interested in registering for the company’s conference call can do so using this link.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 2nd. The industrial products company reported $8.33 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.05 by $0.28. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 56.54% and a net margin of 11.10%. The company had revenue of $4 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.04 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $7.14 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect W.W. Grainger to post $39 EPS for the current fiscal year and $43 EPS for the next fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $942.07 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $979.33 and a 200-day simple moving average of $869.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.02, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.14. W.W. Grainger has a 1 year low of $641.95 and a 1 year high of $1,034.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 2.88.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 12th were given a dividend of $1.86 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 9th. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.79%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.55%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently weighed in on GWW. Loop Capital lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $925.00 to $1,000.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. UBS Group increased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $740.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on W.W. Grainger from $800.00 to $925.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on W.W. Grainger from $809.00 to $907.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $913.89.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In other news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 3,813 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $968.88, for a total value of $3,694,339.44. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 4,909 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,756,231.92. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 3,122 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $950.22, for a total transaction of $2,966,586.84. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 4,909 shares in the company, valued at $4,664,629.98. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 3,813 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $968.88, for a total transaction of $3,694,339.44. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 4,909 shares in the company, valued at $4,756,231.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

About W.W. Grainger

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.