State of Alaska Department of Revenue Lowers Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

State of Alaska Department of Revenue decreased its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 20.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,053 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,302 shares during the quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $5,326,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 250.0% during the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 38.9% in the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the period. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the third quarter worth $75,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 0.8 %

GWW traded up $8.15 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $1,046.62. 216,887 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 294,007. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $874.98 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $1,095.78 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,070.37. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $50.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.04, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.17.

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 for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 period in the previous year, the business posted $8.33 earnings per share. Analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.78%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is presently 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on GWW shares. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. Loop Capital lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Robert W. Baird raised W.W. Grainger from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and raised their price objective for the company from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,148.56.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In other news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the vice president now directly owns 675 shares in the company, valued at $814,070.25. This represents a 15.63 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 9.50% of the company's stock.

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.