Renaissance Group LLC Decreases Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Renaissance Group LLC cut its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 4.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 33,495 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,395 shares during the quarter. W.W. Grainger accounts for approximately 1.5% of Renaissance Group LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position. Renaissance Group LLC owned 0.07% of W.W. Grainger worth $35,305,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,330,688 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $5,618,812,000 after buying an additional 40,376 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,194,747 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,256,400,000 after purchasing an additional 27,716 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 28.9% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 514,326 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $542,126,000 after purchasing an additional 115,290 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $535,910,000. Finally, Amundi increased 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 purchasing an additional 58,978 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other W.W. Grainger news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,164 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $997.12, for a total value of $1,160,647.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,235 shares in the company, valued at $10,205,523.20. This trade represents a 10.21 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 6.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 3.4 %

Shares of GWW traded up $32.19 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $992.88. 395,299 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 253,408. The company has a current ratio of 2.49, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The company's 50 day moving average is $993.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,072.32. The company has a market capitalization of $47.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.65, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.20. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $874.98 and a 52 week high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results 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 in the prior year, the firm earned $8.33 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on GWW. Wolfe Research cut shares of W.W. Grainger from a "peer perform" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $966.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. William Blair upgraded W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on 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, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,130.89.

W.W. Grainger 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.