Oil prices rise on talk of Russia sanctions; bouncing off recent lows
Investing.com - WW Grainger (NYSE:GWW) maintained its Neutral rating from UBS with a price target of $1,160.00 following the company’s second-quarter results. According to InvestingPro data, the stock has fallen over 11% in the past week, with six analysts recently revising their earnings expectations downward.
UBS noted that Grainger’s second-quarter performance represented an "operational miss" primarily due to weaker gross margins in its High Touch Solutions North America segment, though the company did achieve slightly better-than-expected SG&A leverage.
Grainger has reduced its full-year 2025 EPS guidance by 2%, reflecting a 50 basis point decrease in its gross margin forecast, while slightly raising its full-year sales guidance due to favorable foreign exchange conditions.
The industrial supply company reported price/mix growth of just 0.1% in the second quarter, falling short of expectations in the 1%-1.5% range, which UBS had considered "a low bar for price." Grainger cited price/cost timing and unfavorable inventory valuation as headwinds for its High Touch Solutions North America segment.
Daily sales increased by 5.1% during the quarter, which UBS described as "largely in line with expectations" for the industrial distributor. As a prominent player in the Trading Companies & Distributors industry, Grainger has demonstrated consistent performance with revenue growth of 4.35% over the last twelve months and maintains a strong market position with a market capitalization of $44.9 billion.
In other recent news, WW Grainger Inc. announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2025. The company reported a revenue of $4.55 billion, exceeding the forecasted $4.53 billion. However, it fell short on earnings per share, reporting $9.97 compared to the anticipated $10.06. This mixed financial performance was noted as a significant development for the company. Despite the revenue beat, the shortfall in earnings per share was a key focus for analysts and investors. The earnings results have been a point of discussion among financial analysts, although no specific upgrades or downgrades from firms were mentioned in the recent updates. These developments highlight the ongoing financial dynamics within WW Grainger Inc.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.