W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Sees Significant Decline in Short Interest

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,350,000 shares, a decline of 10.6% from the January 15th total of 1,510,000 shares. Currently, 3.0% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 262,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 5.1 days.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.4 %

W.W. Grainger stock traded down $4.54 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $1,023.20. 377,332 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 298,995. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.49. The firm has a market cap of $49.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.43, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.17. The business has a fifty day moving average of $1,080.74 and a 200 day moving average of $1,072.69. W.W. Grainger has a 12-month low of $874.98 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share 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 previous year, the firm earned $8.33 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be given 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%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the third quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in W.W. Grainger by 43.5% during the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Investment Management Corp VA ADV acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, AlphaMark Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on GWW shares. UBS Group started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Morgan Stanley boosted 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 report on Tuesday, November 19th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Loop Capital boosted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. 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 company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,148.56.

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.