W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Sold by Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC

Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC decreased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 33.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,900 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 934 shares during the period. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,004,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Busey Bank raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 1.5% in the 4th 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 period. Angeles Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.1% in the fourth 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% during the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Welch & Forbes LLC boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Welch & Forbes LLC now owns 481 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $507,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the period. Finally, United Community Bank grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 6.9% in the 4th quarter. United Community Bank now owns 155 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $163,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.4 %

W.W. Grainger stock traded down $4.09 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $1,015.06. The stock had a trading volume of 149,612 shares, compared to its average volume of 253,202. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $874.98 and a 52 week high of $1,227.66. The company has a market cap of $48.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.22, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The business's 50 day moving average price is $986.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,069.47.

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 (EPS) 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 last year, the business posted $8.33 EPS. Sell-side 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. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.81%. 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 a number of recent analyst reports. Wolfe Research lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a "peer perform" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $966.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price 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 note on Monday, February 3rd. William Blair raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target 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. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,130.89.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In other news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,164 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $997.12, for a total value of $1,160,647.68. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 10,235 shares in the company, valued at $10,205,523.20. This represents a 10.21 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

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.