Ieq Capital LLC Has $473,000 Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Ieq Capital LLC decreased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 85.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 449 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 2,630 shares during the period. Ieq Capital LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $473,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of GWW. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the third quarter valued at approximately $848,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 313.3% in the fourth 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 purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at $1,741,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 27.0% during the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 2,226 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,312,000 after purchasing an additional 473 shares during the period. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 72.6% in the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 22,045 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $22,901,000 after purchasing an additional 9,270 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

W.W. Grainger stock traded up $10.08 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $1,021.00. 312,060 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 292,263. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $1,063.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,074.76. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $874.98 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66. The firm has a market cap of $49.23 billion, a PE ratio of 26.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.49.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 last year, the company earned $8.33 EPS. Equities analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.80%. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on GWW. UBS Group began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $1,280.00 price target for the company. 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 report on Tuesday, November 19th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com lowered W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has given 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 $1,148.56.

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.