New York State Common Retirement Fund Trims Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

New York State Common Retirement Fund cut its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 5.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 34,844 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 2,200 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund owned 0.07% of W.W. Grainger worth $36,727,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. increased 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 buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 43.5% during the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at about $47,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

W.W. Grainger stock traded down $16.23 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $1,008.08. The company had a trading volume of 285,074 shares, compared to its average volume of 297,396. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $1,075.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,072.00. The company has a market capitalization of $49.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.17. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $874.98 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $9.75 by ($0.04). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 11.12% and a return on equity of 52.43%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $8.33 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.81%. 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. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target 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. UBS Group began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $1,280.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of 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. Northcoast Research began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus 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.