Czech National Bank Buys 558 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Czech National Bank boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 6.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,609 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 558 shares during the quarter. Czech National Bank’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $10,128,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its stake in W.W. Grainger by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 1,291 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,361,000 after buying an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 13,866 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $14,405,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 89.5% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 521 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $550,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares during the period. Insight Wealth Strategies LLC boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Insight Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 4,328 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $4,562,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. Finally, Pensionfund Sabic grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 24.0% in the 4th quarter. Pensionfund Sabic now owns 1,550 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,634,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

NYSE GWW opened at $1,075.64 on Tuesday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $833.50 and a 1-year high of $1,227.66. The company has a 50 day moving average of $1,139.49 and a 200-day moving average of $1,047.21. The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The firm has a market cap of $52.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.16, a PEG ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 1.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.98 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $9.43 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th were given a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is presently 22.23%.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In other news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total value of $10,705,553.68. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 4,379 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,895,021.36. This trade represents a 68.62 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total transaction of $778,335.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 9,509 shares in the company, valued at $10,513,055.31. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 10,406 shares of company stock worth $11,634,643. Corporate insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Loop Capital increased their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Wolfe Research raised shares of W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, September 22nd. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Northcoast Research initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,140.56.

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.