Donaldson Capital Management LLC Makes New Investment in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Donaldson Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 3,765 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $3,968,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Miller Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth $581,000. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 2,268 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,391,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares during the period. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 17.3% in the fourth quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 319 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $336,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the period. Dearborn Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 20.3% in the fourth quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC now owns 296 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $312,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. Finally, Clare Market Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth $1,001,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW traded down $13.62 during trading on Thursday, hitting $954.67. The company had a trading volume of 331,035 shares, compared to its average volume of 235,859. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,050.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,076.17. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $874.98 and a fifty-two week high of $1,227.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62.

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W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share 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 in the previous year, the company earned $8.33 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.86%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $1,280.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target 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. William Blair upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,151.50.

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.