Erste Asset Management GmbH Has $15.86 Million Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Erste Asset Management GmbH lowered its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 9.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 14,870 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,494 shares during the period. Erste Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $15,863,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in GWW. Avestar Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.0% during the third quarter. Avestar Capital LLC now owns 467 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $485,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares during the period. Busey Bank grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Busey Bank now owns 615 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $648,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 438 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $462,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 43.5% during the fourth quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Finally, Welch & Forbes LLC raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Welch & Forbes LLC now owns 481 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $507,000 after buying an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 1.4 %

GWW stock opened at $954.67 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $1,050.31 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,076.17. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $874.98 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66. The company has a current ratio of 2.49, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.75 by ($0.04). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 11.12% and a return on equity of 52.43%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $8.33 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.86%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on GWW shares. William Blair raised W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,151.50.

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.