W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Acquired by Kinsale Capital Group Inc.

Kinsale Capital Group Inc. increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 10.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 6,015 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 571 shares during the period. W.W. Grainger comprises approximately 1.7% of Kinsale Capital Group Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Kinsale Capital Group Inc.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $6,340,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 3rd quarter valued at about $848,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 313.3% in the 4th quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH now owns 1,521 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,603,000 after buying an additional 1,153 shares during the period. Clark & Stuart Inc bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,741,000. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 27.0% in the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 2,226 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,312,000 after purchasing an additional 473 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 72.6% in the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 22,045 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $22,901,000 after purchasing an additional 9,270 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 1.0 %

NYSE GWW opened at $1,021.00 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $1,063.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1,074.76. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $874.98 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66. The company has a market capitalization of $49.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.38, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.17.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 quarter in the prior year, the company earned $8.33 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.80%. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on GWW shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. UBS Group started 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 price objective on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,148.56.

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.