Manchester Capital Management LLC Sells 942 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Manchester Capital Management LLC decreased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 44.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,170 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 942 shares during the quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,233,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Avestar Capital LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 2.0% in the third quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 467 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $485,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares during the last quarter. Busey Bank grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Busey Bank now owns 615 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $648,000 after buying an additional 9 shares during the period. Angeles Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 438 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $462,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares during the last quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the period. Finally, Virtue Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 5.2% during the 3rd quarter. Virtue Capital Management LLC now owns 223 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $232,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW traded down $1.65 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $1,021.00. 316,634 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 299,545. The stock has a market capitalization of $49.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $1,078.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,072.33. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $874.98 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share (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 quarter last year, the company earned $8.33 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.18%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GWW has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Northcoast Research assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on 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. UBS Group assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $1,280.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,148.56.

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.