Yousif Capital Management LLC Has $15.86 Million Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Yousif Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 2.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 15,047 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 321 shares during the period. Yousif Capital Management LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $15,860,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 3rd quarter valued at $848,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 313.3% during the 4th quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH now owns 1,521 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,603,000 after acquiring an additional 1,153 shares in the last quarter. Clark & Stuart Inc purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at $1,741,000. Toronto Dominion Bank grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 72.6% during the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 22,045 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $22,901,000 after acquiring an additional 9,270 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 27.0% during the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 2,226 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,312,000 after acquiring an additional 473 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

W.W. Grainger stock traded down $9.34 on Friday, reaching $1,035.98. 194,410 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 318,592. The stock has a market cap of $50.45 billion, a PE ratio of 26.76, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a current ratio of 2.49, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $874.98 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $1,101.83 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $1,067.47.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 company posted $8.33 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.79%. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is 21.18%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently issued reports on GWW. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Robert W. Baird raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective 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 note on Monday, February 3rd. Oppenheimer lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Loop Capital lifted their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,148.56.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total value of $150,753.75. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 675 shares of the company's stock, valued at $814,070.25. The trade was a 15.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 9.50% of the company's stock.

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.