V Square Quantitative Management LLC Raises Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 6.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,919 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,993,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of GWW. Integrated Advisors Network LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth $201,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 45.6% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 9,443 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $7,825,000 after purchasing an additional 2,958 shares in the last quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 46.1% in the fourth quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 1,395 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,156,000 after purchasing an additional 440 shares during the last quarter. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at $431,000. Finally, CWM LLC grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 3.6% in the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,884 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,917,000 after buying an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded up $2.69 during trading on Friday, hitting $1,122.16. The stock had a trading volume of 24,992 shares, compared to its average volume of 234,453. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 2.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $674.41 and a 12-month high of $1,124.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $55.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 1.16. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,005.87 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $963.48.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.58 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.35 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.86% and a return on equity of 53.25%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $9.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th were issued a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.73%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is 22.64%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on GWW shares. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, September 6th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Monday, October 7th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 price objective for the company. Baird R W upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Wolfe Research raised shares of W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, September 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,030.70.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In other news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $13,481,538.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 98,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $102,281,004.56. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 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 transaction of $27,524,551.64. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 111,559 shares in the company, valued at $111,650,478.38. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total transaction of $13,481,538.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 98,567 shares in the company, valued at $102,281,004.56. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger 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.