W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Position Lessened by Greatmark Investment Partners Inc.

Greatmark Investment Partners Inc. cut its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 5.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 14,515 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 782 shares during the quarter. W.W. Grainger comprises approximately 2.1% of Greatmark Investment Partners Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. Greatmark Investment Partners Inc.'s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $15,300,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the third quarter worth about $848,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 313.3% during the fourth quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH now owns 1,521 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,603,000 after acquiring an additional 1,153 shares during the last quarter. Clark & Stuart Inc acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $1,741,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 27.0% during the third quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 2,226 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,312,000 after acquiring an additional 473 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 72.6% during the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 22,045 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $22,901,000 after acquiring an additional 9,270 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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W.W. Grainger Stock Up 0.9 %

NYSE GWW traded up $8.95 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $983.72. 251,613 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 235,602. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $874.98 and a 1-year high of $1,227.66. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,043.54 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,076.79. 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 company has a market cap of $47.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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 return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $8.33 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is presently 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

GWW has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com lowered W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley increased their target price 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, William Blair upgraded W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,151.50.

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.