Mizuho Securities USA LLC Purchases 7,988 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Mizuho Securities USA LLC increased its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 236.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 11,360 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 7,988 shares during the period. Mizuho Securities USA LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $11,801,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 250.0% during 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 bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at about $41,000. Triad Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 38.9% during the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

W.W. Grainger stock traded up $2.32 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $1,178.33. 232,113 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 237,434. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a current ratio of 2.59. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $772.13 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66. The firm's 50 day moving average is $1,078.55 and its 200 day moving average is $988.48. The stock has a market cap of $57.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.94, a P/E/G ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.15.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The business had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger'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 earned $9.43 EPS. Analysts predict 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 given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.70%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is currently 22.23%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total value of $10,705,553.68. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 4,379 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,895,021.36. The trade was a 68.62 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 directly owns 111,559 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $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. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 50,900 shares of company stock valued at $52,640,733. Insiders own 9.50% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wolfe Research raised W.W. Grainger to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, September 22nd. Oppenheimer lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Friday, September 6th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $990.00 price objective on the stock. Loop Capital lifted 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 research note on Monday, October 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird upgraded W.W. Grainger from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and raised their price target for the stock from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,086.50.

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.