Mizuho Securities USA LLC Boosts Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Mizuho Securities USA LLC increased its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 45.8% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 4,200 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,319 shares during the quarter. Mizuho Securities USA LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $4,427,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at about $42,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on GWW. StockNews.com cut W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, William Blair raised W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,151.50.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $971.57 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $1,038.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,077.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $874.98 and a one year high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.75 by ($0.04). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $8.33 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.84%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.18%.

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.