Isthmus Partners LLC Reduces Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Isthmus Partners LLC lowered its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 6.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 14,452 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,052 shares during the period. W.W. Grainger comprises 1.9% of Isthmus Partners LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Isthmus Partners LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $15,233,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth about $267,529,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $175,000. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 694.1% during the 4th quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd now owns 76,674 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $80,818,000 after acquiring an additional 67,018 shares during the last quarter. Amundi raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 14.7% in the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 459,536 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $491,170,000 after purchasing an additional 58,978 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Champlain Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the third quarter worth $55,815,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 1.4 %

Shares of GWW stock traded down $13.62 on Thursday, hitting $954.67. 331,035 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 236,157. The business has a 50-day moving average of $1,050.31 and a 200 day moving average of $1,076.17. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $874.98 and a fifty-two week high of $1,227.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a current ratio of 2.49, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62.

Remove Ads

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 quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $8.33 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared 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 0.86%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on GWW. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 3rd. William Blair raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price 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.