Guided Capital Wealth Management LLC Makes New $1.62 Million Investment in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Guided Capital Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 1,540 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $1,623,000. W.W. Grainger accounts for approximately 1.5% of Guided Capital Wealth Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in GWW. Avestar Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.0% in the third quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 467 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $485,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares during the last quarter. Busey Bank increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Busey Bank now owns 615 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $648,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares during the last quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 438 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $462,000 after buying an additional 9 shares during the period. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CX Institutional lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 0.9% during the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 1,191 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,237,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $1,280.00 target price for the company. Loop Capital upped their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Northcoast Research started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,148.56.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

W.W. Grainger stock traded down $0.15 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $1,027.68. 299,201 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 318,592. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $874.98 and a one year high of $1,227.66. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $1,086.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,070.93. The company has a market cap of $50.05 billion, a PE ratio of 26.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.17.

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 earnings per share 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 quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $8.33 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.18%.

W.W. Grainger 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.