W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) Raised to "Buy" at StockNews.com

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report released on Monday.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on GWW. Robert W. Baird upgraded W.W. Grainger from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Bank of America began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Monday, October 7th. They issued an "underperform" rating and a $925.00 target price on the stock. Loop Capital boosted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Northcoast Research began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, September 22nd. One equities 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 assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,058.50.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.8 %

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock traded down $9.39 on Monday, reaching $1,095.68. The company had a trading volume of 150,930 shares, compared to its average volume of 234,596. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $1,035.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $972.05. W.W. Grainger has a 1 year low of $758.11 and a 1 year high of $1,130.01. The firm has a market cap of $53.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.70, a P/E/G ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 2.59 and a quick ratio of 1.40.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $9.98 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The company's revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $9.43 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger will post 38.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 98,567 shares in the company, valued at $102,281,004.56. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 of the company's stock, valued at $102,281,004.56. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of 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. Insiders own 9.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of W.W. Grainger

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. HWG Holdings LP purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the second quarter worth $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in 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 valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 225.0% in the first quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 39 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at approximately $42,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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