W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Purchased by Geode Capital Management LLC

Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 2.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,194,747 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 27,716 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC owned 2.45% of W.W. Grainger worth $1,256,400,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings 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 during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth $37,000. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at about $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW stock traded down $30.98 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $942.43. The stock had a trading volume of 451,542 shares, compared to its average volume of 250,393. The stock's 50 day moving average is $1,013.43 and its 200 day moving average is $1,076.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.44 billion, a PE ratio of 24.35, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.20. 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49.

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 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. As a group, research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is 21.18%.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In other news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,164 shares of the company'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 transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,235 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,205,523.20. This represents a 10.21 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on GWW shares. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. William Blair upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. Wolfe Research lowered 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. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered 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. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,130.89.

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.