W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Holdings Increased by Dorsey Wright & Associates

Dorsey Wright & Associates increased its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,927 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 145 shares during the period. Dorsey Wright & Associates’ holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $4,079,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. HWG Holdings LP bought a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 250.0% during the third quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 38.9% during the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other W.W. Grainger news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total transaction of $778,335.36. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 9,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,513,055.31. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total value of $27,524,551.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $111,650,478.38. This represents a 19.78 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 50,900 shares of company stock valued at $52,640,733 in the last three months. Insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

NYSE GWW opened at $1,185.16 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,132.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,014.63. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $800.97 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 2.59 and a quick ratio of 1.68.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.98 by ($0.11). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 51.78% and a net margin of 10.80%. The company had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $9.43 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th were paid a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.69%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.23%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on GWW shares. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Wolfe Research upgraded W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, September 22nd. Baird R W raised W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Loop Capital boosted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Finally, Northcoast Research initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,109.00.

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.