Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC raised its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 345.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,346 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,044 shares during the quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,398,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in GWW. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the third quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the second quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 38.9% in the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.
W.W. Grainger Stock Performance
GWW stock traded down $1.06 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $1,156.45. The company had a trading volume of 262,345 shares, compared to its average volume of 233,981. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $800.97 and a one year high of $1,227.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $56.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.40, a P/E/G ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $1,137.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,017.80.
W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.98 by ($0.11). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The firm had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.40 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $9.43 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.94 EPS for the current year.
W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 11th were issued a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.71%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.23%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Baird R W raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. UBS Group assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $1,280.00 target price on the stock. Robert W. Baird upgraded W.W. Grainger from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and boosted their price target for the company from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,109.00.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on W.W. Grainger
Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger
In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 675 shares in the company, valued at $814,070.25. This represents a 15.63 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total transaction of $27,524,551.64. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 111,559 shares in the company, valued at $111,650,478.38. This trade represents a 19.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 50,900 shares of company stock worth $52,640,733 in the last three months. 9.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
W.W. Grainger Company Profile
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Free Report)
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.
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