Gallo Partners LP bought a new position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 1,697 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $1,789,000.
Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GWW. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 43.5% during the fourth quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth $37,000. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
W.W. Grainger Stock Performance
GWW stock traded up $13.02 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $1,066.45. The company's stock had a trading volume of 310,700 shares, compared to its average volume of 253,489. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $874.98 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66. The stock has a market cap of $51.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.55, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.24. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $988.46 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,068.36. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62.
W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $9.51 by $0.35. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 11.12% and a return on equity of 52.43%. The company had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.31 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $9.62 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.
W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Investors of record on Monday, May 12th will be paid a $2.26 dividend. This is an increase from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $2.05. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 12th. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.85%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is presently 23.21%.
Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger
In other news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,164 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $997.12, for a total value of $1,160,647.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 10,235 shares in the company, valued at $10,205,523.20. This trade represents a 10.21 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 6.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of research firms have weighed in on GWW. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped 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 note on Monday, February 3rd. William Blair upgraded W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,097.00 to $1,144.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Wolfe Research downgraded W.W. Grainger from a "peer perform" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $966.00 price target for the company. in a report on Thursday, April 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,120.00.
Get Our Latest Research Report on W.W. Grainger
W.W. Grainger Profile
(
Free Report)
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.
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