Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV Raises Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV raised its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 7.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,836 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 126 shares during the quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,935,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. PUREfi Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth approximately $337,000. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 694.1% in the fourth quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd now owns 76,674 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $80,818,000 after purchasing an additional 67,018 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 11.5% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 2,139 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,255,000 after purchasing an additional 220 shares during the last quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 17,822 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $19,051,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Avestar Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 494 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $521,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW opened at $1,027.68 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,086.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,070.93. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $874.98 and a 1-year high of $1,227.66. The firm has a market cap of $50.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.55, a price-to-earnings-growth 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 (NYSE:GWW) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 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 period in the prior year, the business earned $8.33 earnings per share. 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on GWW shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Northcoast Research started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. UBS Group started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price target for the company. Loop Capital increased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,148.56.

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.