May 7 (Reuters) - WW Grainger GWW.N on Thursday raised its 2026 profit forecast, after posting higher first-quarter profit, benefiting from strong maintenance and repair services demand.

Amid geopolitical uncertainty and tariff woes, companies have delayed capital investments and resorted to maintaining and repairing their current equipment to maximize longevity, boosting demand for companies such as WW Grainger.

• Shares of the Lake Forest, Illinois-based company rose 8.5% in premarket trading following the results.

• The toolmaker expects 2026 adjusted profit between $44.25 and $46.25 per share, which is above the previous forecast of $42.25 to $44.75.

• Despite the ongoing uncertainty with tariffs and the broader geopolitical climate, the company sees positive signs with the demand environment, it said.

• The high-touch solutions unit, WW Grainger's largest segment that serves large to mid-size companies with maintenance, repair and operations services, posted a 10.5% rise in sales in the first quarter from a year ago.

• The company's quarterly profit rose to $11.65 per share from $9.86 a year ago.

• WW Grainger's first-quarter revenue rose 10.1% to $4.74 billion, compared with $4.31 billion a year earlier.