Aviso Financial Inc. Increases Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Aviso Financial Inc. increased its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 8.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,226 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the quarter. Aviso Financial Inc.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,211,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in GWW. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 46.8% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 320 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $338,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at about $6,083,000. GeoWealth Management LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 28.1% during the 4th quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 451 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $475,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 134.6% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 31,119 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $32,801,000 after acquiring an additional 17,854 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norinchukin Bank The increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 15.1% during the 4th quarter. Norinchukin Bank The now owns 2,193 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,312,000 after acquiring an additional 287 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW opened at $978.76 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $46.82 billion, a PE ratio of 24.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $893.99 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 2.82 and a quick ratio of 1.64. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,023.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,021.41.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.07 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $4.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.52 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 49.63% and a net margin of 10.99%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $9.76 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 11th will be given a $2.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 11th. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.94%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,075.20, for a total value of $301,056.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 3,369 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,622,348.80. This trade represents a 7.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 6.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on GWW shares. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 27th. Loop Capital dropped their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,080.38.

About W.W. Grainger

W.W. Grainger, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes maintenance, repair, and operating products and services primarily in North America, Japan, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, High-Touch Solutions N.A. and Endless Assortment. The company provides safety, security, material handling and storage equipment, pumps and plumbing equipment, cleaning and maintenance, and metalworking and hand tools.