Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas Takes Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 1,122 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $1,166,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Triad Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the second quarter worth about $42,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 296.9% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 258 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $233,000 after buying an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. bought a new position in W.W. Grainger during the second quarter valued at approximately $62,000. Vista Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.7% during the second quarter. Vista Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,961 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,672,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the second quarter worth approximately $291,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 $10,513,055.31. The trade was a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares in the company, valued at $111,650,478.38. This trade represents a 19.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 50,900 shares of company stock valued at $52,640,733 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 9.50% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of GWW traded down $6.39 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $1,142.62. 179,799 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 233,651. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $800.97 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The company's fifty day moving average price is $1,144.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,020.90. The company has a market capitalization of $55.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 1.16.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.98 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 51.78% and a net margin of 10.80%. W.W. Grainger's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $9.43 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 11th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.72%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.23%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on GWW. Baird R W raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Robert W. Baird raised W.W. Grainger from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. UBS Group began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $1,280.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a "neutral" rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target 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.