XTX Topco Ltd Increases Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

XTX Topco Ltd grew its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 317.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,895 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,441 shares during the period. XTX Topco Ltd's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,969,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. HWG Holdings LP purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 250.0% during the third 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 during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position 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 purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Triad Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the second quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 38.9% during the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on GWW. Oppenheimer lowered W.W. Grainger from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Wolfe Research upgraded W.W. Grainger to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, September 22nd. Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Monday, October 7th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $925.00 target price for the company. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. One 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,109.00.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total transaction of $13,481,538.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 98,567 shares of the company's stock, valued at $102,281,004.56. This represents a 11.65 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total transaction of $778,335.36. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 9,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,513,055.31. This trade represents a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 50,900 shares of company stock worth $52,640,733. 9.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.3 %

NYSE:GWW traded down $3.49 on Friday, hitting $1,185.16. The stock had a trading volume of 194,709 shares, compared to its average volume of 206,958. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $1,132.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $1,014.63. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $800.97 and a 1-year high of $1,227.66. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market cap of $57.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.13, a PEG ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 1.16.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.98 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $4.39 billion for 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%. W.W. Grainger's revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $9.43 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is presently 22.23%.

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.