Myriad Asset Management US LP Invests $966,000 in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Myriad Asset Management US LP purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund purchased 916 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $966,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 7.4% in the 4th quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 1,836 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,935,000 after buying an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. PUREfi Wealth LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at about $337,000. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 694.1% in the fourth quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd now owns 76,674 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $80,818,000 after acquiring an additional 67,018 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 11.5% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 2,139 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,255,000 after acquiring an additional 220 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Asset Management One Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 17,822 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $19,051,000 after buying an additional 186 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

W.W. Grainger stock traded down $1.65 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $1,021.00. The stock had a trading volume of 316,634 shares, compared to its average volume of 299,545. The stock has a market cap of $49.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.17. The stock's 50 day moving average is $1,078.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,072.33. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $874.98 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62.

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 earnings per share 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 in the prior year, the firm posted $8.33 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.80%. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is 21.18%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Northcoast Research initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Morgan Stanley lifted 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 report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price 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.