Clearbridge Investments LLC Sells 45,565 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Clearbridge Investments LLC cut its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 4.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 961,315 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 45,565 shares during the period. W.W. Grainger comprises approximately 0.8% of Clearbridge Investments LLC's holdings, making the stock its 17th largest position. Clearbridge Investments LLC owned approximately 1.97% of W.W. Grainger worth $1,013,274,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in 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 worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $42,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GWW has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. William Blair raised W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,151.50.

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W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW traded up $5.38 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $993.21. 226,578 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 247,611. The company's 50 day moving average is $1,022.30 and its 200 day moving average is $1,077.69. 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 current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.89 billion, a PE ratio of 25.66, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 prior year, the business posted $8.33 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.83%. 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.