Madison Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 3,642 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $3,839,000.
A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in GWW. Swedbank AB boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 23.5% in the third quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 193,888 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $201,413,000 after purchasing an additional 36,892 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 2,233 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,320,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the period. Commerce Bank boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 6,632 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $6,889,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the period. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 250.9% in the 3rd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 2,828 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,938,000 after buying an additional 2,022 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 9.0% during the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 229 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $238,000 after acquiring an additional 19 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
W.W. Grainger Price Performance
Shares of NYSE:GWW traded down $2.65 on Wednesday, reaching $987.55. The company's stock had a trading volume of 158,461 shares, compared to its average volume of 236,260. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,034.72 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,077.68. 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.49. The company has a market cap of $47.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.51, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18.
W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 EPS 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 in the previous year, the business posted $8.33 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.
W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were given a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.83%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is presently 21.18%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several analysts recently issued reports on GWW shares. William Blair upgraded W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price 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 note on Monday, February 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,151.50.
Check Out Our Latest Report on GWW
W.W. Grainger Company Profile
(
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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