Toronto Dominion Bank Trims Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Toronto Dominion Bank decreased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 51.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 12,775 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 13,444 shares during the quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $11,526,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of GWW. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 170.0% during the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares during the period. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. raised its stake 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 period. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 1st quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in 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 valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

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

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.35 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $9.28 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger’s quarterly revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.75 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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 was Monday, August 12th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.64%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $111,650,478.38. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 9.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, September 6th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 target price on the stock. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, September 22nd. Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, June 14th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced 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. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on 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. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target 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.