Advisory Services Network LLC Has $3.73 Million Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Advisory Services Network LLC increased its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 22.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,543 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 641 shares during the quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $3,734,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in the fourth quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth about $43,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

GWW stock traded up $1.35 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $1,001.55. The company had a trading volume of 39,870 shares, compared to its average volume of 252,508. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $874.98 and a fifty-two week high of $1,227.66. 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 firm has a market capitalization 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. The business has a 50 day moving average of $992.33 and a 200 day moving average of $1,072.08.

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W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share (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 in the prior year, the business earned $8.33 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.82%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is 21.18%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,164 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $997.12, for a total value of $1,160,647.68. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,235 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,205,523.20. This trade represents a 10.21 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on GWW shares. William Blair upgraded W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Wolfe Research downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "peer perform" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $966.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective 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 research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on 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. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,130.89.

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.