W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Sold by Vinva Investment Management Ltd

Vinva Investment Management Ltd trimmed its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 24.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,832 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 578 shares during the quarter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,939,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of GWW. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $267,529,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $175,000. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 694.1% during the fourth quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd now owns 76,674 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $80,818,000 after acquiring an additional 67,018 shares during the last quarter. Amundi increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 14.7% during the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 459,536 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $491,170,000 after acquiring an additional 58,978 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Champlain Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the third quarter worth about $55,815,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW stock opened at $973.46 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The business has a 50 day moving average of $1,039.97 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,075.42. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $874.98 and a 52 week high of $1,227.66. The company has a market cap of $46.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.15, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued 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 period last year, the company earned $8.33 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.84%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com lowered W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company 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 assigned a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,151.50.

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.