IFM Investors Pty Ltd Increases Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

IFM Investors Pty Ltd raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 0.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,152 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $9,507,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. HWG Holdings LP bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the second quarter worth $26,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 170.0% in the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of 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 worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the first quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the second quarter valued at approximately $42,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

GWW opened at $1,082.21 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.30, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The business’s 50 day moving average is $1,020.02 and its 200-day moving average is $966.93. The stock has a market cap of $53.10 billion, a PE ratio of 29.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 1.16. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $674.41 and a twelve month high of $1,129.92.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its earnings results 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. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 53.25% and a net margin of 10.86%. The firm had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $9.28 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.65 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th were given a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.76%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.64%.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on 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. Oppenheimer cut shares of W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Monday, October 7th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Friday, September 6th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. One equities 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 issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,043.20.

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.