786 Shares in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Bought by Oak Ridge Investments LLC

Oak Ridge Investments LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 786 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $817,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 225.0% during the 1st 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 in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Triad Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

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

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.4 %

W.W. Grainger stock traded down $4.16 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $1,105.07. 248,255 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 234,978. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $747.00 and a 1-year high of $1,130.01. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $1,035.68 and a two-hundred day moving average of $971.79. The company has a current ratio of 2.30, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The stock has a market cap of $53.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.32, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 1.16.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $9.98 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.86% and a return on equity of 53.25%. The business's revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $9.43 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 11th will be issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is currently 22.50%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Bank of America assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Monday, October 7th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $925.00 price target on the stock. Oppenheimer downgraded W.W. Grainger from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Friday. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and upped their price objective for the company from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,058.50.

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.