Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Acquires 7,367 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 58.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 19,956 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,367 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $18,005,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of GWW. Bfsg LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter worth $26,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 170.0% in the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 225.0% in the first quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 39 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 1st quarter valued at about $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.2 %

NYSE GWW traded up $1.58 during trading on Friday, hitting $969.62. The company had a trading volume of 41,180 shares, compared to its average volume of 241,061. The company has a current ratio of 2.30, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $674.41 and a one year high of $1,034.18. The company has a market cap of $47.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.17. The company’s fifty day moving average is $945.60 and its 200-day moving average is $952.90.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.58 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.35 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.86% and a return on equity of 53.25%. W.W. Grainger’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $9.28 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 39.1 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 12th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is 22.64%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on GWW. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Friday, June 14th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. Baird R W downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,017.13.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In related news, SVP Matt Fortin sold 511 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.20, for a total value of $467,667.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,848 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,691,289.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

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.