W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) Shares Cross Above 200-Day Moving Average - What's Next?

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $1,036.08 and traded as high as $1,065.88. W.W. Grainger shares last traded at $1,058.21, with a volume of 180,977 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on GWW shares. Oppenheimer cut W.W. Grainger from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Bank of America started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Monday, October 7th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $925.00 target price for the company. Loop Capital increased their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, September 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,140.56.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.4 %

The company's 50-day moving average is $1,147.37 and its 200 day moving average is $1,037.05. The company has a market cap of $51.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. W.W. Grainger's revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $9.43 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.94 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 11th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.78%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.23%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total value of $778,335.36. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 9,509 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,513,055.31. This trade represents a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total value of $10,705,553.68. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 4,379 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,895,021.36. This trade represents a 68.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 10,406 shares of company stock valued at $11,634,643. 9.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GWW. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 3rd quarter valued at about $848,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 27.0% in the third quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 2,226 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,312,000 after purchasing an additional 473 shares during the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 72.6% during the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 22,045 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $22,901,000 after buying an additional 9,270 shares in the last quarter. Concord Asset Management LLC VA boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 26.7% during the third quarter. Concord Asset Management LLC VA now owns 2,285 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,374,000 after buying an additional 482 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MML Investors Services LLC grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 8.1% in the 3rd quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 7,146 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $7,424,000 after buying an additional 537 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.