CenterBook Partners LP Decreases Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Key Points

• CenterBook Partners LP has reduced its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. by 45.2%, owning 869 shares valued at $858,000 after selling 716 shares in the first quarter.
• Multiple large investors such as Vanguard Group and GAMMA Investing LLC have recently increased their stakes, with Vanguard boosting its position by 1.1% and GAMMA by an astonishing 100,843.0%.
• W.W. Grainger recently announced a quarterly dividend of $2.26 per share, with an annualized dividend yield of 1.0%, payable on September 1st to stockholders of record as of August 11th.

CenterBook Partners LP trimmed its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 45.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 869 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 716 shares during the period. CenterBook Partners LP's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $858,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in GWW. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 100,843.0% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 692,469 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $684,042,000 after purchasing an additional 691,783 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 14.2% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 681,912 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $718,769,000 after buying an additional 84,595 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 1.1% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,388,378 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $5,322,801,000 after buying an additional 57,690 shares during the last quarter. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 4,053.3% during the fourth quarter. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH now owns 53,910 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $56,824,000 after buying an additional 52,612 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Twinbeech Capital LP purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $54,030,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

W.W. Grainger stock traded up $14.29 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $954.05. 56,381 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 287,275. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $893.99 and a one year high of $1,227.66. The stock has a market cap of $45.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.18. 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 stock has a fifty day moving average price of $1,035.02 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,026.31.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $10.07 by ($0.10). The company had revenue of $4.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.52 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.99% and a return on equity of 49.63%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $9.76 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 11th will be issued a $2.26 dividend. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is presently 22.94%.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In other news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,075.20, for a total value of $301,056.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 3,369 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,622,348.80. The trade was a 7.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GWW has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased 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 report on Monday, August 4th. Loop Capital reduced their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted 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 research note on Tuesday, May 27th. Finally, 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 research note on Friday, July 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,080.38.

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.