Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. Has $4.25 Million Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 155.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,088 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 2,488 shares during the period. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc.'s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $4,247,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mather Group LLC. raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 11.9% in the second quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 283 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $255,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.0% in the 2nd quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC now owns 1,896 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,711,000 after buying an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Spring Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 10.1% during the 2nd quarter. Spring Capital Management LLC now owns 8,441 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $7,616,000 after acquiring an additional 773 shares during the period. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter worth about $154,000. Finally, Hexagon Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 14.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 138 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $124,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.3 %

NYSE:GWW traded down $4.17 on Thursday, hitting $1,188.43. 191,969 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 233,488. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a current ratio of 2.59. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $800.97 and a 52 week high of $1,227.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $57.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.33, a P/E/G ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 1.16. The company's 50-day moving average price is $1,126.78 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,011.38.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 51.78% and a net margin of 10.80%. The business had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.40 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $9.43 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.93 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 11th were given a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.69%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is currently 22.23%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Baird R W raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Bank of America initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Monday, October 7th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $925.00 target price for the company. Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,109.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total transaction of $150,753.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 675 shares in the company, valued at approximately $814,070.25. The trade was a 15.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total transaction of $10,705,553.68. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 4,379 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,895,021.36. This trade represents a 68.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 50,900 shares of company stock valued at $52,640,733 over the last three months. Company insiders own 9.50% of the company's stock.

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.