W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Sold by Gulf International Bank UK Ltd

Key Points

• Gulf International Bank UK Ltd reduced its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 21.1%, bringing its total shares to 2,596, valued at approximately $2.56 million.
• W.W. Grainger reported earnings of $9.97 per share for the quarter, which was below analysts' expectations, although revenue grew 5.6% year-over-year.
• The company recently announced a quarterly dividend of $2.26 per share, with a current dividend yield of 0.9%.

Gulf International Bank UK Ltd lowered its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 21.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,596 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 695 shares during the period. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,564,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 2.1% in the first quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 486 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $480,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 3.2% in the first quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 323 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $319,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the period. Hemington Wealth Management lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 0.9% in the first quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 1,139 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,125,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the period. Zacks Investment Management lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 545 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $575,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. Finally, Crew Capital Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 4.7% in the first quarter. Crew Capital Management Ltd. now owns 270 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $267,000 after acquiring an additional 12 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,075.20, for a total value of $301,056.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 3,369 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,622,348.80. This represents a 7.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of GWW stock traded down $3.96 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $970.60. 237,292 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 350,748. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The firm has a market cap of $46.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 1.18. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $1,025.90 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,022.73. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $893.99 and a fifty-two week high of $1,227.66.

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 for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $10.07 by ($0.10). The business had revenue of $4.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.52 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 49.63% and a net margin of 10.99%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $9.76 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GWW has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Loop Capital decreased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 27th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on 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. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on 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. Two investment 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger currently 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.