Vontobel Holding Ltd. Trims Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Vontobel Holding Ltd. cut its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 5.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 26,635 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,622 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd. owned 0.05% of W.W. Grainger worth $28,075,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in GWW. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the third quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at $47,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.6 %

NYSE:GWW traded down $6.68 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $1,021.05. 145,588 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 291,367. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $874.98 and a one year high of $1,227.66. The company has a market cap of $49.73 billion, a PE ratio of 26.36, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.17. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $1,083.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,072.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62.

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 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 business posted $8.33 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company 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 $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.80%. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is presently 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have commented on GWW. Loop Capital upped their price target on shares of 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. Morgan Stanley raised 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 note on Tuesday, November 19th. StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $1,280.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered 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 research note on Monday, February 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,148.56.

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.