W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Bought by Royal London Asset Management Ltd.

Royal London Asset Management Ltd. lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 5.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 29,011 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,417 shares during the quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. owned 0.06% of W.W. Grainger worth $30,579,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Avestar Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 467 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $485,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. Busey Bank increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Busey Bank now owns 615 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $648,000 after buying an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 438 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $462,000 after buying an additional 9 shares during the period. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 43.5% during the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Welch & Forbes LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Welch & Forbes LLC now owns 481 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $507,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Remove Ads

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock traded down $2.12 on Tuesday, reaching $989.47. The company had a trading volume of 204,017 shares, compared to its average volume of 236,922. The firm has a market cap of $47.71 billion, a PE ratio of 25.56, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.49. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $874.98 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $1,036.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,077.39.

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

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on GWW shares. 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. William Blair raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price 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. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,151.50.

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.