Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. Raises Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 6.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 56,091 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 3,204 shares during the quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.12% of W.W. Grainger worth $58,268,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 6.7% during the 2nd quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 2,046 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,846,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.5% in the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,091 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $984,000 after buying an additional 16 shares during the period. Wedmont Private Capital lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 5.2% in the 2nd quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 626 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $575,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 280.4% in the 2nd quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 2,621 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,365,000 after acquiring an additional 1,932 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 4.8% during the 2nd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 15,973 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $14,411,000 after acquiring an additional 730 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of GWW traded down $3.61 on Tuesday, reaching $1,158.44. The stock had a trading volume of 285,788 shares, compared to its average volume of 233,863. 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 12-month low of $800.97 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $56.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,137.47 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,017.80.

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 the consensus estimate of $9.98 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $9.43 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.94 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th were paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is 22.23%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total value of $778,335.36. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 9,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,513,055.31. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total transaction of $150,753.75. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 675 shares of the company's stock, valued at $814,070.25. This trade represents a 15.63 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 50,900 shares of company stock worth $52,640,733. Insiders own 9.50% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on GWW shares. Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a "neutral" rating for the company. Baird R W raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Monday, October 7th. They issued an "underperform" rating and a $925.00 price target on the stock. Wolfe Research raised shares of W.W. Grainger to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, September 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,109.00.

W.W. Grainger Company Profile

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.