Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Invests $2.72 Million in Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG)

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new stake in shares of Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 32,285 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $2,721,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of GGG. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Graco in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in Graco during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. National Pension Service bought a new position in Graco during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Graco in the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Graco during the fourth quarter valued at $61,000. 93.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on GGG. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Graco from $93.00 to $97.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. BNP Paribas raised Graco from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $105.00 price objective for the company in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $85.00 target price on Graco in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $93.00.

Remove Ads

Graco Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GGG traded up $1.69 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $83.86. 820,981 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 735,704. The firm has a market cap of $14.10 billion, a PE ratio of 29.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.83. Graco Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $77.49 and a fifty-two week high of $94.48. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $85.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $85.54.

Graco (NYSE:GGG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.77 by ($0.13). Graco had a return on equity of 19.38% and a net margin of 23.00%. As a group, analysts predict that Graco Inc. will post 3.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Graco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 14th will be paid a $0.275 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 14th. This represents a $1.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.31%. Graco's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.01%.

Graco Company Profile

Graco Inc designs, manufactures, and markets systems and equipment used to move, measure, control, dispense, and spray fluid and powder materials worldwide. The Contractor segment offers sprayers to apply paint to walls and other structures; two-component proportioning systems that are used to spray polyurethane foam and polyurea coatings; and viscous coatings to roofs, as well as markings on roads, parking lots, athletic fields, and floors.