W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Sold by Wellington Management Group LLP

Wellington Management Group LLP reduced its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 19.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,461 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,091 shares during the quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $4,634,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. HWG Holdings LP bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% during the 3rd 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 during the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its position 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 buying an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the third quarter worth $75,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owns 675 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $814,070.25. This trade represents a 15.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total value of $778,335.36. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 9,509 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,513,055.31. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 23,398 shares of company stock worth $25,116,181 over the last quarter. 9.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW stock traded down $18.95 on Tuesday, hitting $1,120.93. The company had a trading volume of 306,065 shares, compared to its average volume of 233,946. The firm has a market cap of $54.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 1.16. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $800.97 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $1,148.62 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,025.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $9.98 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 51.78% and a net margin of 10.80%. The company's revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $9.43 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 11th were given a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.73%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.23%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GWW has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wolfe Research upgraded W.W. Grainger to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, September 22nd. Loop Capital raised their price target on W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Robert W. Baird upgraded W.W. Grainger from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and raised their price target for the stock from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a "neutral" rating for the company. Finally, Oppenheimer lowered W.W. Grainger from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. 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 assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,109.00.

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.