Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Boosts Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 44,022 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,070 shares during the quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA owned 0.09% of W.W. Grainger worth $46,401,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,330,688 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $5,618,812,000 after purchasing an additional 40,376 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 2.3% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,997,191 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,074,702,000 after buying an additional 45,369 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,167,031 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,208,610,000 after acquiring an additional 28,626 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth approximately $535,910,000. Finally, Amundi lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 14.7% during the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 459,536 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $491,170,000 after buying an additional 58,978 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.5 %

NYSE:GWW traded up $5.38 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $993.21. The company had a trading volume of 226,578 shares, compared to its average volume of 247,611. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $874.98 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66. The company has a market cap of $47.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.66, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a 50-day moving average of $1,022.30 and a 200 day moving average of $1,077.69. The company has a current ratio of 2.49, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.75 by ($0.04). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $8.33 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is presently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GWW has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, William Blair upgraded W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,151.50.

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.