W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Bought by Wedbush Securities Inc.

Wedbush Securities Inc. raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 5.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 816 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Wedbush Securities Inc.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $736,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of GWW. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 170.0% in the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the period. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 275.0% in the fourth quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 45 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the period. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at approximately $41,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In other W.W. Grainger news, SVP Matt Fortin sold 511 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.20, for a total value of $467,667.20. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 1,848 shares in the company, valued at $1,691,289.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $988.64 on Thursday. 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 $48.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.30, a PEG ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 2.30. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $956.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $954.45.

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, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.58 by $0.18. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 53.25% and a net margin of 10.86%. The firm had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.35 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $9.28 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.71 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th were given a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.83%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.64%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on GWW. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Friday, June 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Baird R W lowered W.W. Grainger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. StockNews.com lowered W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,014.11.

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.