J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG Decreases Holdings in Graco Inc. $GGG

J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG reduced its position in Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG) by 52.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 10,225 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 11,450 shares during the period. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG’s holdings in Graco were worth $869,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Graco in the third quarter valued at $29,000. NewSquare Capital LLC grew its stake in Graco by 320.7% in the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 345 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 263 shares during the last quarter. CX Institutional increased its holdings in Graco by 316.7% during the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 475 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 361 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in Graco by 982.6% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 498 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 452 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TD Private Client Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Graco by 116.9% in the third quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 514 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 277 shares in the last quarter. 93.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Graco Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of NYSE:GGG opened at $86.81 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $14.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 1.09. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $83.98 and a 200-day simple moving average of $83.94. Graco Inc. has a 52 week low of $72.06 and a 52 week high of $89.67.

Graco (NYSE:GGG) last released its earnings results 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 the consensus estimate of $591.99 million. Graco had a return on equity of 19.49% and a net margin of 23.33%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.64 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Graco Inc. will post 3.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Graco Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Investors of record on Monday, January 19th will be issued a $0.295 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 16th. This is a positive change from Graco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. This represents a $1.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. Graco’s payout ratio is presently 40.27%.

Graco announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Friday, December 5th that permits the company to buyback 15,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization permits the industrial products company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GGG has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Robert W. Baird set a $96.00 price objective on shares of Graco in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Graco in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on Graco from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Graco from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, KeyCorp restated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Graco in a report on Tuesday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $96.50.

Graco News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Graco this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raised its price target to $105 and reiterated a Buy rating, signaling roughly 21% upside from recent levels. Jefferies raises price target to $105
• Positive Sentiment: RBC raised its target to $100 and keeps an Outperform rating, another vote of confidence from the sell-side. RBC raises target to $100 The Fly: RBC note
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted margin expansion driven by acquisition integration and operational discipline in Q4 — a concrete earnings-quality improvement that supports higher earnings power going forward. Q4 deep dive: margin expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results matched EPS estimates ($0.77) and revenue slightly beat consensus; revenue grew ~8% y/y — solid operational results but largely in line with expectations. Zacks: Q4 earnings match estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q4 earnings call transcript and presentation are available for investors reviewing management commentary and acquisition details. Seeking Alpha: Q4 earnings call transcript Earnings presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Despite margin wins, management issued cautious growth guidance for 2026, which spurred investor concern and selling pressure reflected in above-average volume. Yahoo: Investors reacting to margin expansion and cautious guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts present conflicting views on Graco’s trajectory versus peers, adding to mixed sentiment and limiting a clearer bullish consensus. Globe and Mail: conflicting analyst sentiments

Graco Company Profile

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.