W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Sold by Crew Capital Management Ltd.

Crew Capital Management Ltd. reduced its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 61.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 258 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 407 shares during the period. Crew Capital Management Ltd.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $272,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 19.1% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 43,818 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $46,186,000 after purchasing an additional 7,033 shares during the last quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $230,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 293,499 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $309,363,000 after purchasing an additional 8,833 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 4,360 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $4,596,000 after purchasing an additional 173 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DJE Kapital AG acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $7,934,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE GWW opened at $988.67 on Wednesday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $874.98 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $1,059.45 and a 200-day moving average of $1,076.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.67 billion, a PE ratio of 25.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.75 by ($0.04). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 11.12% and a return on equity of 52.43%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $8.33 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.83%. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

GWW has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price for the company. StockNews.com cut shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,148.56.

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.