Sunpointe LLC Raises Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Sunpointe LLC grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 5.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 476 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the quarter. Sunpointe LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $502,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Creative Planning grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 13.8% in the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 11,560 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $11,491,000 after acquiring an additional 1,405 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 23.5% during the 3rd quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 193,888 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $201,413,000 after acquiring an additional 36,892 shares in the last quarter. Venture Visionary Partners LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the third quarter worth approximately $224,000. Oakworth Capital Inc. boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 65.2% in the third quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. now owns 114 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $118,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 7.0% in the third quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,167 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,212,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

NYSE GWW opened at $1,021.00 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $1,078.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,072.33. The company has a market capitalization of $49.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.38, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.17. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $874.98 and a 1-year high of $1,227.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 period in the previous year, the firm posted $8.33 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.80%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased 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. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. 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 issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus 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.