Mogy Joel R Investment Counsel Inc. Invests $1.65 Million in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Mogy Joel R Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 1,590 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,652,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 2,958 shares in the last quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at $276,000. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd now owns 3,723 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,787,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. &PARTNERS acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter worth about $471,000. Finally, Unique Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 40.7% in the 1st quarter. Unique Wealth LLC now owns 1,272 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,294,000 after acquiring an additional 368 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 0.5 %

GWW stock opened at $1,125.32 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $55.22 billion, a PE ratio of 31.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a fifty day moving average of $1,008.79 and a 200-day moving average of $964.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 2.30. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $674.41 and a one year high of $1,128.52.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.35 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $9.28 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.65 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, 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 transaction of $13,481,538.56. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 98,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $102,281,004.56. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of W.W. Grainger 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 98,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the business’s 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. 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 currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Bank of America began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Monday, October 7th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 price objective on the stock. Wolfe Research raised W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, September 22nd. Robert W. Baird raised W.W. Grainger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the company from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, September 6th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 price objective for the company. 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,030.70.

W.W. Grainger Company 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.