XML Financial LLC Sells 13 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

XML Financial LLC decreased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 218 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 13 shares during the period. XML Financial LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $226,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 250.0% during 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 period. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 1st quarter valued at about $41,000. Triad Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 38.9% during the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

NYSE GWW opened at $1,220.93 on Tuesday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $772.13 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $1,059.24 and its 200-day moving average is $981.51. The company has a market capitalization of $59.46 billion, a PE ratio of 33.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.98 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 51.78% and a net margin of 10.80%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $9.43 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 11th will be paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.67%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.23%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on GWW. Baird R W raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Oppenheimer cut W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Friday, September 6th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 price target on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com raised W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,058.50.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares in the company, valued at approximately $111,650,478.38. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total transaction of $13,481,538.56. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 98,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total value of $27,524,551.64. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $111,650,478.38. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 50,775 shares of company stock valued at $52,489,979. 9.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.