AlphaQuest LLC Sells 1,074 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

AlphaQuest LLC cut its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 40.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,579 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,074 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,664,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% during 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. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth approximately $47,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have weighed in on GWW. William Blair raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. 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 for the company in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $1,280.00 target price on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,151.50.

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W.W. Grainger Stock Down 1.4 %

NYSE:GWW traded down $13.62 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $954.67. 331,035 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 236,157. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $874.98 and a one year high of $1,227.66. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $1,050.31 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,076.17. The company has a market cap of $46.03 billion, a PE ratio of 24.66, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results 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 prior year, the firm posted $8.33 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 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.