AustralianSuper Pty Ltd Boosts Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

AustralianSuper Pty Ltd lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 694.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 76,674 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 67,018 shares during the period. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd owned about 0.16% of W.W. Grainger worth $80,818,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of GWW. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 11.5% during the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 2,139 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,255,000 after buying an additional 220 shares in the last quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 17,822 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $19,051,000 after buying an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Avestar Capital LLC raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 494 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $521,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $6,427,000. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 24.5% in the fourth quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 4,718 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $4,915,000 after purchasing an additional 927 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.2 %

W.W. Grainger stock traded down $1.65 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $1,021.00. 316,634 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 299,545. 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 cap of $49.72 billion, a PE ratio of 26.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,078.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,072.33. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $874.98 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share 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 quarter last year, the firm posted $8.33 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.80%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 3rd. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $1,280.00 target price on the stock. Northcoast Research started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a "neutral" rating for the company. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,148.56.

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.