Graco Inc. research snapshot

GGG AI Stock Analysis

GGG AI stock analysis currently reads Graco as a high-quality specialty industrial machinery franchise with strong margins, a fortress net-cash balance sheet, durable free cash flow, and a century-long fluid handling brand, tempered by soft organic demand and a stock that has already retraced toward multi-year support. At the July 12, 2026 data cutoff, GGG closed at $74.00 on July 10 with a verified market capitalization near $12.28 billion. The page uses scenario ranges and source checks rather than a certain price prediction, and is for informational use only, not investment advice.

Current price

$74.00

Market cap

$12.28 billion

AI score

69 / 100

Rating

High-quality fluid handling franchise, near-term organic softness and valuation discipline required

Trend status

Pullback near 52-week lows after a multi-month decline, with price below the 50-day and 200-day moving averages

Data cutoff (updated weekly)

July 12, 2026

Informational use only. This page is not investment advice.

Research quality check

information Richness
A-level information richness. Graco has long SEC filings, current quarterly releases, segment reporting, multi-decade financial histories on Macrotrends and StockAnalysis, and broad industrial analyst coverage.
bias Check
The main AI bias risk is accepting the premium quality industrial narrative without enough reverse checking. The countercase asks whether organic sales declines, contractor end-market cyclicality, acquisition integration (including Valco Melton), and multiple compression after a high can erase the margin of safety that looks attractive only versus Gracos own history.
ai Confidence
High for FY2025 results, Q1 2026 sales and earnings, share count, cash and debt, market cap math, and valuation ratios. Medium for technical levels and forecast ranges because price, industrial orders, and acquisition contribution can change quickly around the July 22, 2026 earnings date.
investment Certainty
Medium. Business quality and balance sheet strength are clear, but investment certainty is below data confidence because organic growth is soft, near-term technicals are weak, and the multiple still assumes durable mid-cycle profitability.

Quick verdict table

DimensionConclusionConfidence
Business qualityGraco designs and sells systems that move, measure, mix, control, dispense, and spray fluids and powders across contractor painting, industrial process, lubrication, and expansion end markets.High
MoatMoat comes from brand trust, installed equipment, distributor relationships, application know-how, aftermarket parts and accessories, and high gross margins near 52%, but product categories remain competitive and cyclical.Medium-high
ManagementCEO Mark Sheahan has guided for low single-digit organic growth in 2026 while using cash for dividends, buybacks, and bolt-on deals such as the planned Valco Melton acquisition.Medium-high
Financial trendFY2025 sales rose 5.8% to $2.237 billion and net earnings rose 7.4% to $521.8 million, but Q1 2026 organic sales fell 6% even as reported sales rose 2% on acquisitions and currency.High
ValuationAt $74.00, GGG traded near 24.2x trailing EPS of $3.06, about 23.3x forward earnings, 4.5x book, and roughly 19x free cash flow, with a 1.59% dividend yield.High
Technical trendTechnical snapshots were weak: price near the 52-week low of $72.51, below the StockAnalysis 50-day average near $75.84 and 200-day average near $82.95, with RSI around the mid-40s.Medium
Risk levelMain risks include contractor and industrial cycle weakness, organic sales misses, acquisition integration, Asia Pacific demand, competitive pressure on sprayers and pumps, and multiple compression if growth stays low single digits.Medium-high
AI confidenceHigh for descriptive facts and audited calculations, medium for forward scenarios and chart levels into the next earnings print.High data confidence
Investment certaintyMedium certainty. The page frames scenarios and monitoring rules, not a buy or sell instruction.Medium

GGG AI stock forecast

GGG AI Stock Forecast Scenarios

The GGG AI stock forecast uses scenario math around the $74.00 quote and an implied forward EPS near $3.17 from the roughly 23.3x forward PE. The audited three-year framework produced a bearish area near $54, a base area near $87, and a bullish area near $118 before dividends.

Bullish case

$110 to $125

More likely if organic sales return to solid mid single digits, Valco Melton and other acquisitions add accretive growth, operating margins hold near the high 20% area, and investors re-rate GGG toward the high 20x earnings zone.

Base case

$80 to $95

More likely if Graco compounds EPS around mid single digits, keeps free cash flow conversion strong, continues dividends and buybacks, and trades near a mid-20x multiple in line with current forward PE.

Bearish case

$50 to $58

More likely if organic demand stays negative, contractor or industrial end markets weaken further, acquisition returns disappoint, or the stock is repriced closer to 16x earnings.

GGG AI technical analysis

GGG AI Technical Analysis

GGG AI technical analysis is defensive as of the July 12, 2026 data cutoff. The stock closed at $74.00 on July 10 after falling about 16% over the prior 52 weeks, sits just above the $72.51 52-week low, and remains below widely watched moving averages on StockAnalysis.

LevelValueWhy it matters
Current price$74.00StockAnalysis reported GGG closed at $74.00 on July 10, 2026, up 1.11% on the day on about 826 thousand shares.
Near support$72.50 to $73.00The 52-week low at $72.51 and StockInvest short-term support zones near the low $72s mark the first downside shelf.
Deeper support$69.80 to $72.00Prior June 2026 commentary cited a critical support area near $69.80 if the multi-month decline resumes after a failed bounce.
Near resistance$75.00 to $76.00StockInvest listed overhead resistance near $75 to $76, while StockAnalysis placed the 50-day moving average near $75.84.
Upper resistance$82.95 to $95.69StockAnalysis listed a 200-day average near $82.95 and a 52-week high of $95.69, both well above the current quote.
MomentumRSI neutral to softStockAnalysis listed 14-day RSI near 43.3 and Investing.com listed RSI near 47.6, both in a neutral band after a long drawdown from the highs.
VolumeAverage volume near 1.4 million sharesJuly 10 volume near 0.83 million was below the roughly 1.4 million average volume, so the bounce lacked strong participation.
VolatilityAbout 23% below 52-week highThe large drawdown from $95.69 means mean-reversion setups and trend breakdowns both matter more than breakout chasing.
InvalidationClose below $72.51A decisive close under the 52-week low would invalidate the near-term support thesis and raise the risk of a deeper industrial re-rating.

GGG AI trading strategy

GGG AI Trading Strategy Framework

The GGG AI trading strategy is a rules-based research framework for monitoring a high-quality industrial after a large drawdown. It is not personal advice and should be paired with fresh chart data, the July 22, 2026 earnings release, position sizing, and a defined invalidation level.

Trend-following setup

Watch for GGG to reclaim the $75 to $76 zone and then the $80 to $83 area on volume above the 20-day average. Confirmation improves if Q2 results show organic sales stabilization and backlog or bookings strength.

A close below $72.51 or a failed reclaim of the 50-day average after earnings should invalidate the near-term repair setup.

Mean-reversion setup

If GGG holds the $72.50 to $74 area without a negative guidance reset, compare price action with contractor demand, industrial orders, cash conversion, and acquisition commentary before treating the bounce as durable.

Do not average down without a maximum loss rule because quality industrials can still re-rate lower when organic growth and order visibility stay weak.

Fundamental monitor

Track organic sales by segment and region, Contractor versus Industrial trends, Asia Pacific demand, free cash flow, net cash after Valco Melton, dividend and buyback pace, gross and operating margins, and order or backlog comments.

Reduce confidence if reported growth depends mainly on acquisitions and currency while organic volumes, margins, and cash conversion weaken.

Investment research summary

Four-master Research Compression

Business essence

Customers pay Graco to move and apply hard-to-handle fluids and coatings more accurately, productively, and cleanly. The one-line essence is premium fluid handling equipment and aftermarket parts sold through strong channel relationships.

Moat

The moat is brand, distributor density, installed base, application engineering, and recurring parts and accessories rather than a single monopoly product. Gross margins near 52% and operating margins near 27% support that claim, but the moat can narrow if contractor demand or competitive pricing worsens.

Munger risk inversion

The thesis fails if organic sales stay negative, contractor and industrial cycles deepen, acquisitions like Valco Melton fail to earn attractive returns, Asia Pacific remains soft, or investors stop paying mid-20x earnings for low single-digit growth.

Management

Management should be judged by organic growth recovery, pricing versus cost, acquisition returns, capital allocation between dividends, buybacks, and M&A, and whether the net-cash balance sheet is used to widen per-share value over a full cycle.

Industry trend

Graco sits inside long-duration needs for construction coatings, industrial process fluids, lubrication, adhesives, and automation-friendly dispensing, but those end markets are cyclical and exposed to housing, industrial production, and regional manufacturing trends.

Valuation and margin of safety

At roughly 24x trailing earnings and 23x forward earnings after a large price drawdown, GGG is less expensive than many of its own peak multiples, yet not a deep value stock. Margin of safety improves if price holds support while organic growth and free cash flow stabilize.

Source-backed data

GGG Data Table

Every metric below includes a source and last verification date.

MetricValueSourceLast verified
GGG price$74.00 close on July 10, 2026StockAnalysis market overviewJuly 12, 2026
Market capitalization$12.28 billion, verified as $74.00 x 165.97 million shares (0.01% variance)financial_rigor.py market cap verificationJuly 12, 2026
Shares outstanding165.97 million shares; 10-Q listed 165,968,177 shares as of April 8, 2026StockAnalysis and Graco Q1 2026 Form 10-QJuly 12, 2026
FY2025 revenue$2.237 billion, up 5.83% year over year; company release $2,236.6 millionGraco FY2025 results release and MacrotrendsJuly 12, 2026
FY2025 net earnings$521.8 million, up 7.4% year over year; diluted EPS $3.08Graco FY2025 results releaseJuly 12, 2026
Q1 2026 sales and earningsSales $540.1 million (+2% reported, -6% organic); net earnings $118.5 million; diluted EPS $0.70Graco Q1 2026 results releaseJuly 12, 2026
Cash and debtCash $712.17 million and total debt $52.89 million at Q1 2026; net cash about $659 millionStockAnalysis statistics and company Q1 disclosuresJuly 12, 2026
Free cash flowFY2025 free cash flow about $649 million on Macrotrends; TTM free cash flow about $631 million on StockAnalysisMacrotrends and StockAnalysisJuly 12, 2026
Valuation ratiosTrailing PE 24.18x, forward PE 23.33x, PB 4.48x, FCF yield about 5.1% to 5.3%, dividend yield 1.59%StockAnalysis statistics and financial_rigor.py verify-valuationJuly 12, 2026
Technical snapshot50-day MA near $75.84, 200-day MA near $82.95, RSI near 43.3, 52-week range $72.51 to $95.69StockAnalysis statistics and Investing.com technicalsJuly 12, 2026
Three-scenario valuationfinancial_rigor.py output: bullish $118, base $87, bearish $54 using $3.17 forward EPS basefinancial_rigor.py three-scenario calculationJuly 12, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

This GGG AI stock analysis page is an informational research tool only. It is not investment advice, a recommendation, or a promise of future return. Forecast scenarios are based on available public data as of July 12, 2026 and can be wrong if Gracos fundamentals, market price, rates, or investor sentiment change.