UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Purchases 42,866 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 8.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 546,960 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 42,866 shares during the quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC owned approximately 1.12% of W.W. Grainger worth $568,188,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its stake 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 purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Triad Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the second quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its stake in shares of 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 valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a "neutral" rating for the company. Wolfe Research upgraded W.W. Grainger to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, September 22nd. Robert W. Baird raised W.W. Grainger from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and increased their price target for the company from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Bank of America began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Monday, October 7th. They issued an "underperform" rating and a $925.00 price objective on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,109.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total value of $150,753.75. Following the sale, the vice president now 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total value of $10,705,553.68. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 4,379 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,895,021.36. This trade represents a 68.62 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 50,900 shares of company stock valued at $52,640,733. Company insiders own 9.50% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded up $0.62 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $1,206.50. The company had a trading volume of 126,632 shares, compared to its average volume of 234,157. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 2.59 and a quick ratio of 1.68. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $775.00 and a one year high of $1,227.66. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $1,113.99 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,004.11. The company has a market capitalization of $58.76 billion, a PE ratio of 32.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 1.15.

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 the consensus estimate of $9.98 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $9.43 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.92 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.68%. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is currently 22.23%.

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.