HighTower Advisors LLC Reduces Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

HighTower Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 8.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 13,176 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,283 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $13,640,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of GWW. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 38.9% in the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In other W.W. Grainger news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total value of $150,753.75. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 675 shares in the company, valued at $814,070.25. The trade was a 15.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total transaction of $27,524,551.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares of the company's stock, valued at $111,650,478.38. This trade represents a 19.78 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 50,900 shares of company stock valued at $52,640,733 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 9.50% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded down $3.49 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $1,185.16. 194,709 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 206,958. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.13, a PEG ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 1.16. The business's fifty day moving average price is $1,132.65 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,014.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a current ratio of 2.59. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $800.97 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share 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 the consensus estimate of $4.40 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $9.43 EPS. W.W. Grainger's quarterly revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 11th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is presently 22.23%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on GWW. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Robert W. Baird raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and increased their price target for the company from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Monday, October 7th. They issued an "underperform" rating and a $925.00 price target on the stock. Oppenheimer cut shares of W.W. Grainger from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Loop Capital increased their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,109.00.

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.