W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Sold by Meritage Portfolio Management

Meritage Portfolio Management lowered its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 24.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,179 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,703 shares during the quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $5,459,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its holdings 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 worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its stake 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 worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 38.9% during 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 last quarter. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 3rd quarter valued at $75,000. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Baird R W raised W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Loop Capital boosted 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. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $1,280.00 target price for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,148.56.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 675 shares in the company, valued at $814,070.25. The trade was a 15.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 9.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.9 %

Shares of GWW traded down $9.34 during trading on Friday, reaching $1,035.98. 194,410 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 318,592. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,101.83 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,068.29. The stock has a market cap of $50.45 billion, a PE ratio of 26.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.17. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $874.98 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66. 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 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 period last year, the firm earned $8.33 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be issued 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 0.79%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.18%.

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.