Algebris UK Ltd Buys Shares of 1,138 W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Algebris UK Ltd purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 1,138 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $1,158,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of GWW. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on GWW shares. StockNews.com lowered W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased 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. William Blair upgraded W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,151.50.

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W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded down $2.09 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $971.57. 384,960 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 236,991. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $1,038.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,077.01. 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 stock has a market cap of $46.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.10, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $874.98 and a fifty-two week high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. During the same period last year, the company earned $8.33 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

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

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.