W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) Rating Increased to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $809.00 to $907.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Oppenheimer raised their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,075.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $800.00 to $925.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Loop Capital reduced their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $975.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 29th. Finally, Stephens raised shares of W.W. Grainger from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $1,000.00 to $1,250.00 in a report on Monday, April 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $938.89.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

NYSE:GWW traded up $7.29 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $956.21. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 172,929 shares, compared to its average volume of 237,917. The business’s fifty day moving average is $976.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $887.09. The stock has a market cap of $46.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.40, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 2.19 and a quick ratio of 1.33. W.W. Grainger has a 1 year low of $641.95 and a 1 year high of $1,034.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The industrial products company reported $9.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.57 by $0.05. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 54.31% and a net margin of 10.94%. The company had revenue of $4.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.26 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $9.61 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger’s quarterly revenue was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger will post 39.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 13th will be paid a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.86%. This is a positive change from W.W. Grainger’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.64%.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In related news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 3,813 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $968.88, for a total value of $3,694,339.44. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 4,909 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,756,231.92. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of GWW. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Bfsg LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 170.0% in the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.