APG Asset Management N.V. Invests $24.23 Million in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

APG Asset Management N.V. acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 23,800 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $24,226,000.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of GWW. Garden State Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 11.7% in the third quarter. Garden State Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 498 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $517,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 345.7% in the 3rd quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 1,346 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,398,000 after acquiring an additional 1,044 shares in the last quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 788 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $819,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. MML Investors Services LLC grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 8.1% during the 3rd quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 7,146 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $7,424,000 after acquiring an additional 537 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.5% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,167,031 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,208,610,000 after purchasing an additional 28,626 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded up $1.35 on Tuesday, hitting $1,001.55. The company had a trading volume of 39,870 shares, compared to its average volume of 252,508. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $992.33 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,072.08. The company has a current ratio of 2.49, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The stock has a market cap of $48.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.20. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $874.98 and a 1-year high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 prior year, the firm earned $8.33 earnings per share. Analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.82%. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In other W.W. Grainger news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,164 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $997.12, for a total transaction of $1,160,647.68. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 10,235 shares in the company, valued at $10,205,523.20. This trade represents a 10.21 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 6.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on GWW shares. William Blair upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com cut W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, Wolfe Research lowered W.W. Grainger from a "peer perform" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $966.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,130.89.

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.