Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC Sells 2,977 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 47.6% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,272 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 2,977 shares during the period. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,953,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 170.0% during the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 17 shares during the period. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 275.0% during the 4th quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 45 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 225.0% during the 1st 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 last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at about $41,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price 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. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, June 14th. Baird R W lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Friday, September 6th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 target price for the company. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,014.11.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In other news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total transaction of $27,524,551.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $111,650,478.38. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 0.2 %

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,032.22 on Monday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $674.41 and a twelve month high of $1,037.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 2.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The company has a 50 day moving average of $970.23 and a 200-day moving average of $956.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.65 billion, a PE ratio of 28.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.16.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.58 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.35 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 53.25% and a net margin of 10.86%. The company’s revenue was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $9.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th were given a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.64%.

About W.W. Grainger

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.