W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Acquired by Daiwa Securities Group Inc.

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 11.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,868 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 593 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.'s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $6,096,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 250.0% during the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 38.9% in the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of GWW stock traded up $0.67 on Tuesday, hitting $1,216.43. The stock had a trading volume of 187,118 shares, compared to its average volume of 234,933. The firm has a market capitalization of $59.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.97, a P/E/G ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 1.15. The stock's 50 day moving average is $1,102.56 and its 200-day moving average is $999.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a current ratio of 2.59. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $772.13 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $9.98 by ($0.11). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The company had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.40 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $9.43 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.92 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th will be paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.67%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.23%.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In other news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total value of $10,705,553.68. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 4,379 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,895,021.36. This trade represents a 68.62 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total transaction of $150,753.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 675 shares in the company, valued at approximately $814,070.25. The trade was a 15.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 50,900 shares of company stock worth $52,640,733. 9.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on GWW. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of 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. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, September 22nd. Finally, Northcoast Research began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,109.00.

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.