W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Bought by Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc.

Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 100.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,172 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,088 shares during the period. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $4,399,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in GWW. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in 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 worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position 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 in the last quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth approximately $47,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the third quarter valued at approximately $75,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 1.1 %

NYSE:GWW opened at $1,007.06 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $48.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.17. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $1,055.60 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,074.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.49. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $874.98 and a 52 week 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 the consensus estimate 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 quarter last year, the business posted $8.33 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal 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 given a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.81%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. UBS Group initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. 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 for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. One equities 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 issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,151.50.

W.W. Grainger Profile

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.