Manchester Capital Management LLC Decreases Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Manchester Capital Management LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 44.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,170 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 942 shares during the quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,233,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of GWW. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the third quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in the fourth quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth $47,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

NYSE:GWW opened at $1,027.68 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $50.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.55, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.17. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $874.98 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $1,086.13 and a 200 day moving average of $1,070.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.49.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $8.33 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.18%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on GWW shares. Northcoast Research started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. UBS Group assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com lowered W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Loop Capital raised their price target on W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,148.56.

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.