Best Promising Companies To Invest In 2015

Best Promising Companies To Invest In 2015: W.W. Grainger Inc . (GWW)

W.W. Grainger, Inc. and its subsidiaries distribute facilities maintenance and other related products and services in the United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico, India, Puerto Rico, China, Colombia, and Panama. The company offers maintenance, repair, and operating supplies; and other related products and services through local branches, catalogs, and the Internet. Its products include material handling equipment, safety and security supplies, lighting and electrical products, power and hand tools, pumps and plumbing supplies, cleaning and maintenance supplies, forestry and agriculture equipment, building and home inspection supplies, vehicle and fleet components, and various other items for facilities maintenance market, as well as services comprise inventory management and energy efficiency solutions. The company also distributes tools, fasteners, safety supplies, instruments, welding and shop equipment, and other items. It serves small and medium-sized businesses to large corporations, government entities, and other institutions. W.W. Grainger, Inc. was founded in 1927 and is based in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Teresa Rivas]

  A better-than-expected first quarter from Bank of America (BAC) (although the stock  turned negative) and a rosy industrial production reading helped markets shrug off weaker housing starts that marked a sluggish start to the spring selling season and slowing growth data from China.  PNC Financial Services (PNC) and W.W. Grainger (GWW) were both climbing after beating earnings expectations as well.

• [By Teresa Rivas]

  W.W. Grainger (GWW) was ahead more than 1% on Wednesday as its first-quarter earnings per share were a penny ahead of expectations.

  The industrial goods company said it earned $216.7 million, or $3.07 a shar! e, up from $2.94 a share in the year-ago period. Revenue grew 4.6% to $2.39 billion. Analysts were looking for a per-share profit of $2.97 on revenue of $2.39 billion. Grainger also reiterated its full-year forecast.

  The quarter was helped by domestic sales, which jumped 6.9% to $1.9 billion, while overseas sales climbed 11% to $274.9 million.

  On the conference call, Grainger noted forex pressure was a drag on Canadian business, but said that online and U.S. sales strength more than overcame the headwind.

  Wunderlich Securities' Brent Raker reiterated a Buy rating and $320 price target on the stock ahead of the earnings, and sees overseas sales continuing their strong pace throughout the year: "We continue to believe Grainger's other businesses (outside U.S./Canada) will produce a material operating profit recovery in 2014 (from $30.3mm in 2013 to $55.2mm in 2014). We expect the following factors will be drivers: significant sales/profit boost from Zoro, favorable currency movement in Japan/Europe, a bounce-back in Mexican profit contribution, steady global economic gains, minimized losses in certain Asian/Latin American countries, and positive impact from restructurings in Europe/China."

  The news is better than its disappointing fourth-quarter results, which caused the stock to tumble when it reported in January.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-promising-companies-to-invest-in-2015-3.html