KBC Group NV Trims Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

KBC Group NV reduced its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 8.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,786 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 452 shares during the period. KBC Group NV's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $4,972,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in GWW. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its position 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 period. Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at $42,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 537.5% during the 1st quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 51 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 38.9% during the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Loop Capital boosted their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Monday, October 7th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $925.00 price target on the stock. Baird R W upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, September 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,086.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

NYSE GWW traded down $4.91 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $1,173.42. The company's stock had a trading volume of 130,325 shares, compared to its average volume of 235,156. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $772.13 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $1,078.55 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $988.96. The company has a market cap of $57.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 2.59 and a quick ratio of 1.68.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $9.98 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 51.78% and a net margin of 10.80%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $9.43 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 11th will be paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.23%.

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.