Franklin Resources Inc. Sells 65,294 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Franklin Resources Inc. cut its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 9.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 629,312 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 65,294 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 1.29% of W.W. Grainger worth $691,210,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Avestar Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 467 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $485,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares during the period. Optas LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.8% in the second quarter. Optas LLC now owns 1,353 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,221,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. CX Institutional boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 1,191 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,237,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. Virtue Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 5.2% during the 3rd quarter. Virtue Capital Management LLC now owns 223 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $232,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sage Mountain Advisors LLC raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 4.4% in the 2nd quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 284 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $256,000 after acquiring an additional 12 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded down $6.39 during trading on Friday, reaching $1,142.62. 179,799 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 233,651. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $800.97 and a 52 week high of $1,227.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $55.65 billion, a PE ratio of 30.98, a PEG ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 1.16. The company's 50 day moving average is $1,144.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,020.90.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $9.98 by ($0.11). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 51.78% and a net margin of 10.80%. The firm had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $9.43 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.94 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th were paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is presently 22.23%.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In other news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total value of $27,524,551.64. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares in the company, valued at approximately $111,650,478.38. This trade represents a 19.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total transaction of $10,705,553.68. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 4,379 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,895,021.36. This represents a 68.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 50,900 shares of company stock valued at $52,640,733. 9.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Northcoast Research assumed coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. UBS Group started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $1,280.00 price target on the stock. Oppenheimer cut W.W. Grainger from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded W.W. Grainger to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, September 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,109.00.

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.