Columbus Macro LLC Buys 4,832 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Columbus Macro LLC raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 484.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,830 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,832 shares during the period. Columbus Macro LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $6,145,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Avestar Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.0% during the third quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 467 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $485,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. Busey Bank increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Busey Bank now owns 615 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $648,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares during the period. CX Institutional raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 1,191 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,237,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Virtue Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. Virtue Capital Management LLC now owns 223 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $232,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Finally, Resonant Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC now owns 238 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $251,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW traded up $1.61 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $1,044.53. 222,983 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 310,487. The firm has a market capitalization of $50.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.98, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.17. 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.49. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $1,108.46 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,067.04.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its 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 net margin of 11.12% and a return on equity of 52.43%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $8.33 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 41.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared 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 of this dividend 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 is presently 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on GWW. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Robert W. Baird raised W.W. Grainger from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and upped their price target for the stock from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. UBS Group started coverage on 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. StockNews.com downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,148.56.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total transaction of $150,753.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 9.50% of the company's stock.

About W.W. Grainger

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.