Zacks Research Weighs in on Graco’s Q2 Earnings (NYSE:GGG)

Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q2 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Graco in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, March 12th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the industrial products company will earn $0.83 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $0.82. The consensus estimate for Graco’s current full-year earnings is $3.06 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Graco’s Q3 2026 earnings at $0.79 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $3.19 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.84 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.98 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $4.15 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. KeyCorp restated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Graco in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Graco from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Graco from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Graco from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $85.00 price objective on shares of Graco in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $96.50.

Graco Stock Performance

GGG stock opened at $86.96 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $89.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $85.37. Graco has a fifty-two week low of $72.06 and a fifty-two week high of $95.69. The firm has a market cap of $14.38 billion, a PE ratio of 28.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.07.

Graco (NYSE:GGG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 26th. The industrial products company reported $0.77 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.77. The firm had revenue of $593.16 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $591.99 million. Graco had a net margin of 23.33% and a return on equity of 19.49%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.64 EPS.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Graco

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GGG. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Graco in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Assetmark Inc. grew its holdings in Graco by 42.6% in the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 465 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. CX Institutional grew its stake in Graco by 316.7% during the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 475 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 361 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Graco by 982.6% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 498 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 452 shares during the period. Finally, Field & Main Bank purchased a new stake in Graco during the fourth quarter valued at about $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.88% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Graco

In related news, insider Timothy R. White sold 1,469 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.70, for a total transaction of $133,238.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 51,430 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,664,701. This trade represents a 2.78% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Kathryn L. Schoenrock sold 2,223 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.06, for a total value of $195,757.38. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 7,846 shares in the company, valued at approximately $690,918.76. This represents a 22.08% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 19,394 shares of company stock worth $1,739,326. 2.19% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Graco Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Monday, April 13th will be given a dividend of $0.295 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 13th. This represents a $1.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. Graco’s payout ratio is currently 38.19%.

Graco declared that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Friday, December 5th that allows the company to buyback 15,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the industrial products company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

About Graco

Graco Inc is a leading manufacturer of fluid handling systems and components, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1926, the company has built a reputation for innovation in spray finishing, lubrication, and fluid management technologies. Graco’s solutions are designed to address the needs of paint and coatings applicators, general industry, and process fluids in a variety of end markets.

The company’s product portfolio includes airless and air-assisted spray equipment, pumps for oil and gas applications, industrial lubrication systems, and automated dispensing equipment.