Sanctuary Advisors LLC Invests $4.56 Million in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Sanctuary Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 4,905 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $4,558,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of GWW. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in W.W. Grainger by 170.0% during the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 275.0% in the fourth quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 45 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 225.0% during the first quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 39 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GWW has been the subject of several recent research reports. Erste Group Bank reissued a "hold" rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, June 14th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Friday, September 6th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $990.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Wolfe Research raised W.W. Grainger to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, September 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,014.11.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other W.W. Grainger news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief executive officer now owns 111,559 shares of the company's stock, valued at $111,650,478.38. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total transaction of $13,481,538.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 98,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total transaction of $27,524,551.64. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 111,559 shares of the company's stock, valued at $111,650,478.38. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 9.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of GWW traded up $4.09 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $1,033.24. The company had a trading volume of 95,966 shares, compared to its average volume of 235,745. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $986.34 and a 200-day simple moving average of $959.96. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 2.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The stock has a market cap of $50.70 billion, a PE ratio of 28.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.16. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $674.41 and a 1-year high of $1,049.02.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $9.58 by $0.18. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.86% and a return on equity of 53.25%. The company had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.35 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $9.28 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger's quarterly revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th were given a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.79%. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is currently 22.64%.

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.