Hall Laurie J Trustee Trims Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Hall Laurie J Trustee lessened its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 3.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 600 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 20 shares during the quarter. Hall Laurie J Trustee’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $633,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. HWG Holdings LP purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 38.9% during the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the third quarter valued at $75,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,113.05 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $855.01 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $54.21 billion, a PE ratio of 30.17, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $1,133.37 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,052.65.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.98 by ($0.11). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The firm had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.40 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $9.43 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 11th were given a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.23%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GWW has been the topic of several analyst reports. Robert W. Baird raised W.W. Grainger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Monday, October 7th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 target price for the company. Finally, Loop Capital increased their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,140.56.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In related news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total value of $778,335.36. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 9,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,513,055.31. This trade represents a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total value of $150,753.75. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 675 shares in the company, valued at $814,070.25. This trade represents a 15.63 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 10,406 shares of company stock valued at $11,634,643. Corporate insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

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.