W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Position Raised by Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 4.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 15,973 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 730 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $14,411,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bfsg LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the first quarter worth approximately $26,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 170.0% during the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 275.0% in the fourth quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 45 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 225.0% in the first quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 39 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In other news, SVP Matt Fortin sold 511 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.20, for a total transaction of $467,667.20. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,848 shares in the company, valued at $1,691,289.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 9.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on GWW. Loop Capital decreased their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $975.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 29th. Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Friday, June 14th. Stephens raised shares of W.W. Grainger from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $1,000.00 to $1,250.00 in a research note on Monday, April 29th. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $1,000.00 to $975.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,017.13.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

NYSE GWW traded down $8.15 on Wednesday, reaching $952.99. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 76,552 shares, compared to its average volume of 245,140. The firm has a market cap of $46.76 billion, a PE ratio of 26.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.17. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $930.97 and a 200 day moving average price of $950.30. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $674.41 and a 52 week high of $1,034.18. The company has a current ratio of 2.30, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.58 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.35 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.86% and a return on equity of 53.25%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $9.28 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 39.1 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 12th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.86%. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is 22.64%.

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.