W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Sold by ING Groep NV

ING Groep NV reduced its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 43.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 7,760 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 6,082 shares during the quarter. ING Groep NV’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $8,179,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in GWW. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted 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 worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 43.5% during the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 111.1% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $47,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 1.6 %

NYSE GWW opened at $1,008.08 on Friday. 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 firm’s fifty day moving average price is $1,072.84 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,072.39. The company has a market capitalization of $49.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.17. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $874.98 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its 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 net margin of 11.12% and a return on equity of 52.43%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $8.33 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.81%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.18%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on GWW. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of 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. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Northcoast Research began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,148.56.

W.W. Grainger Company 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.