Federated Hermes Inc. Boosts Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Key Points

• Federated Hermes Inc. has increased its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. by 10.4%, bringing their holdings to a valuation of $8.02 million with a total of 8,120 shares owned.
• W.W. Grainger's stock has experienced a recent price change, opening at $932.25 with a market cap of $44.79 billion and a reported earnings miss of $9.97 per share against an expectation of $10.07.
• In response to evolving financial conditions, analysts have mixed ratings on W.W. Grainger, with two sell ratings and eight hold ratings, reflecting a cautious outlook on the stock's performance.

Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 10.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,120 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 767 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc.'s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $8,021,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of GWW. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the first quarter worth $25,000. Investment Management Corp VA ADV acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its position 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 valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $54,000. Finally, Columbia River Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the first quarter worth about $65,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other W.W. Grainger news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 761 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,042.86, for a total transaction of $793,616.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 578 shares in the company, valued at approximately $602,773.08. This represents a 56.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the vice president directly owned 3,369 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,622,348.80. This trade represents a 7.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 6.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

GWW stock traded up $6.84 on Monday, hitting $939.28. The company's stock had a trading volume of 410,819 shares, compared to its average volume of 387,665. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $1,051.42 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,033.62. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $893.99 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66. The stock has a market cap of $45.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a current ratio of 2.82, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $4.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.52 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $9.76 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 11th will be given a dividend of $2.26 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 11th. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is presently 22.94%.

W.W. Grainger 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.