Achmea Investment Management B.V. Decreases Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Achmea Investment Management B.V. reduced its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 2.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 23,798 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 495 shares during the quarter. Achmea Investment Management B.V.'s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $25,084,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in GWW. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 3rd quarter valued at about $848,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 313.3% during the 4th quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH now owns 1,521 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,603,000 after purchasing an additional 1,153 shares during the last quarter. Clark & Stuart Inc bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,741,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 27.0% during the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 2,226 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,312,000 after purchasing an additional 473 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 72.6% during the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 22,045 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $22,901,000 after acquiring an additional 9,270 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE GWW traded down $13.62 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $954.67. 331,035 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 235,889. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.49. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $1,050.31 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,076.17. 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 $46.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.66, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18.

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W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its 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 period in the prior year, the company earned $8.33 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.18%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on GWW shares. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. UBS Group began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $1,280.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut 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 research report on Monday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada cut 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 research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com lowered W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target 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.