ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. Buys Shares of 11,857 W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Key Points

• ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. acquired 11,857 shares of W.W. Grainger, valued at approximately $11.7 million, as part of their 1st quarter investments.
• W.W. Grainger's recent earnings report showed an adjusted EPS of $9.97, missing analysts' expectations, while the company's revenue for the quarter was $4.55 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $2.26 per share, set to be paid on September 1st, with an annualized yield of 0.9%.

ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. bought a new position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 11,857 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $11,711,000.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Investment Management Corp VA ADV purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 34.3% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 47 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the period. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at about $54,000. Finally, Columbia River Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter valued at about $65,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,075.20, for a total transaction of $301,056.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 3,369 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,622,348.80. This represents a 7.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 6.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Loop Capital decreased their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,080.38.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

GWW stock opened at $959.76 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 2.82. The company's fifty day moving average price is $1,043.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,031.24. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $893.99 and a one year high of $1,227.66. The company has a market capitalization of $45.91 billion, a PE ratio of 24.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $10.07 by ($0.10). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.99% and a return on equity of 49.63%. The company had revenue of $4.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.52 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $9.76 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 11th will be issued a dividend of $2.26 per share. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.94%.

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.

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