Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd Buys 45 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 1.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,345 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $3,920,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Clearbridge Investments LLC boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 17.4% during the 1st quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 1,148,051 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,167,913,000 after acquiring an additional 169,897 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 689,090 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $571,042,000 after purchasing an additional 11,460 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at $392,470,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 440,860 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $365,334,000 after buying an additional 10,940 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 265,103 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $219,688,000 after buying an additional 4,893 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on GWW shares. Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Friday, June 14th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased 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 report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Baird R W cut shares of W.W. Grainger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,017.13.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 1.7 %

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $984.92 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.30, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $674.41 and a 1-year high of $1,034.18. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $947.00 and a 200 day simple moving average of $953.28. The company has a market cap of $48.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.17.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.58 by $0.18. The company 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%. W.W. Grainger’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $9.28 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 39.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be given a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 12th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.64%.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

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

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.