Coho Partners Ltd. Sells 38,782 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Coho Partners Ltd. cut its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 35.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 69,684 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 38,782 shares during the quarter. W.W. Grainger makes up about 3.4% of Coho Partners Ltd.'s holdings, making the stock its 12th biggest position. Coho Partners Ltd. owned about 0.14% of W.W. Grainger worth $73,451,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of GWW. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the third quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% during the third 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 last quarter. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW traded down $4.54 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $1,023.20. 377,332 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 298,995. The company has a market cap of $49.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.43, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.49. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $874.98 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $1,080.74 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,072.69.

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 the consensus estimate 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 quarter last year, the company posted $8.33 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of 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. StockNews.com downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. 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. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Loop Capital raised their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. One equities 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,148.56.

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.