W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Purchased by Diversified Trust Co

Diversified Trust Co boosted its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 23.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,224 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 603 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $3,349,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at about $281,104,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 17.4% during the 1st quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 1,148,051 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,167,913,000 after purchasing an additional 169,897 shares during the period. Swedbank AB purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter worth approximately $159,365,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 563.3% in the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 72,300 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $65,232,000 after buying an additional 61,400 shares during the period. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 67.9% in the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 143,193 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $129,175,000 after buying an additional 57,894 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total value of $13,481,538.56. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the firm'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 value of $13,481,538.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 98,567 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the company'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 directly 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 owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have commented on GWW. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Monday. They issued an "underperform" rating and a $925.00 price objective for the company. Erste Group Bank restated a "hold" rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Friday, June 14th. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, September 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Friday, September 6th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $990.00 price target on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,005.20.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

W.W. Grainger stock traded up $5.72 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $1,028.56. 131,247 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 235,125. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $674.41 and a 12-month high of $1,049.02. The company has a market capitalization of $50.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.40, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.16. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $987.46 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $959.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.30 and a quick ratio of 1.40.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. The firm had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.35 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 53.25% and a net margin of 10.86%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $9.28 EPS. Analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.80%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.64%.

W.W. Grainger 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.