Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Buys 53,729 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 1,653.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 56,978 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 53,729 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned 0.12% of W.W. Grainger worth $60,058,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of GWW. HWG Holdings LP bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its stake in 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 buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 38.9% during the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the period. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger during the third quarter worth about $75,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In related news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total value of $10,705,553.68. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 4,379 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,895,021.36. The trade was a 68.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total value of $150,753.75. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 675 shares in the company, valued at approximately $814,070.25. This trade represents a 15.63 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 10,406 shares of company stock valued at $11,634,643 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 9.50% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded up $16.49 during trading on Thursday, reaching $1,109.85. 300,739 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 277,374. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $836.84 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $1,136.75 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,048.83. The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The firm has a market cap of $54.05 billion, a PE ratio of 30.09, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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). The firm had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $9.43 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th were paid a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.23%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GWW has been the topic of several recent 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. UBS Group started coverage on shares of 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. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Bank of America started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Monday, October 7th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $925.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Northcoast Research started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,140.56.

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.