Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Sells 620 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio reduced its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,878 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 620 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $20,649,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,997,191 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,074,702,000 after purchasing an additional 45,369 shares during the period. FMR LLC lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 2.6% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,617,149 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,679,911,000 after buying an additional 40,992 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 8.5% during the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 546,960 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $568,188,000 after acquiring an additional 42,866 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 5.2% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 360,026 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $324,841,000 after acquiring an additional 17,699 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 324,367 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $336,956,000 after acquiring an additional 12,805 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of GWW traded down $1.06 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $1,156.45. 262,345 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 233,981. The firm's 50 day moving average is $1,139.84 and its 200-day moving average is $1,018.77. 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 company has a market cap of $56.32 billion, a PE ratio of 31.35, a PEG ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 1.16.

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

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 11th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.71%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is currently 22.23%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on GWW shares. UBS Group began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $1,280.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank of Canada upped 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 research note on Friday, November 1st. Northcoast Research initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Oppenheimer cut W.W. Grainger from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,109.00.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In other news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total value of $778,335.36. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 9,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,513,055.31. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total value of $150,753.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 675 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $814,070.25. The trade was a 15.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 50,900 shares of company stock worth $52,640,733. 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.