First Trust Advisors LP Acquires 17,854 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 134.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 31,119 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 17,854 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 0.06% of W.W. Grainger worth $32,801,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the third quarter valued at about $848,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 313.3% in the 4th quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH now owns 1,521 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,603,000 after acquiring an additional 1,153 shares in the last quarter. Clark & Stuart Inc bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,741,000. Bancreek Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,687,000. Finally, Czech National Bank lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 6.2% in the fourth quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 9,609 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $10,128,000 after purchasing an additional 558 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,164 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $997.12, for a total transaction of $1,160,647.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 10,235 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,205,523.20. The trade was a 10.21 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on GWW. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price 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. Wolfe Research downgraded W.W. Grainger from a "peer perform" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $966.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Finally, William Blair upgraded W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,130.89.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded up $1.65 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $1,013.06. 122,685 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 252,027. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $874.98 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $986.09 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,069.54. 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 $48.85 billion, a PE ratio of 26.16, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.20.

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

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.81%. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is 21.18%.

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.