Amalgamated Bank Increases Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Amalgamated Bank boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 10.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,304 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 977 shares during the period. Amalgamated Bank's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $10,704,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $281,104,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 17.4% during the first quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 1,148,051 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,167,913,000 after buying an additional 169,897 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at approximately $159,365,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 92,754.3% in the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 87,283 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $906,700,000 after buying an additional 87,189 shares during the period. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 563.3% in the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 72,300 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $65,232,000 after acquiring an additional 61,400 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW traded up $73.08 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $1,195.10. The company's stock had a trading volume of 399,184 shares, compared to its average volume of 235,060. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 2.59 and a quick ratio of 1.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.20 billion, a PE ratio of 30.43, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 1.15. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $1,041.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $974.44. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $764.13 and a 52 week high of $1,199.00.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.98 by ($0.11). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 51.78% and a net margin of 10.80%. The firm had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.40 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $9.43 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 11th will be paid a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is 22.23%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total value of $778,335.36. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 9,509 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,513,055.31. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other W.W. Grainger news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total value of $13,481,538.56. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 98,567 shares in the company, valued at $102,281,004.56. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total value of $778,335.36. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 9,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,513,055.31. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 41,198 shares of company stock valued at $41,784,426. 9.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GWW has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Baird R W upgraded W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. StockNews.com raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Loop Capital upped their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. Finally, Bank of America assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Monday, October 7th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $925.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,058.50.

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.