Marshall Wace LLP Cuts Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Marshall Wace LLP decreased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 64.1% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 21,449 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 38,379 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $19,352,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake 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 worth $27,000 after buying an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its stake 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 during the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 225.0% during 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at about $41,000. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW stock opened at $1,035.66 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $50.82 billion, a PE ratio of 28.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.16. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $674.41 and a 52-week high of $1,049.02. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $977.94 and a 200-day simple moving average of $958.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 2.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly 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. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.86% and a return on equity of 53.25%. The firm had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $9.28 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.75 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief executive officer now owns 111,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $111,650,478.38. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 9.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

GWW has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price 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. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Friday, June 14th. Wolfe Research raised shares of W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, September 22nd. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, September 6th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 price target for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of 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. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,014.11.

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.