Bank of Montreal Can Boosts Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 0.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 94,271 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 478 shares during the quarter. Bank of Montreal Can owned approximately 0.19% of W.W. Grainger worth $99,366,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GWW. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in the fourth quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth $37,000. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,164 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $997.12, for a total transaction of $1,160,647.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,235 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,205,523.20. This trade represents a 10.21 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 6.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

W.W. Grainger stock traded up $1.07 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $995.07. 37,253 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 252,569. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.98 billion, a PE ratio of 25.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The business's 50-day moving average is $993.18 and its 200-day moving average is $1,072.32. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $874.98 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share (EPS) 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 quarter in the previous year, the company posted $8.33 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.82%. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on GWW shares. William Blair upgraded W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Wolfe Research downgraded W.W. Grainger from a "peer perform" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $966.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Thursday, April 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,130.89.

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.