Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Sells 886 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group Inc. has reduced its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 43.6% in the first quarter, now owning 1,148 shares valued at approximately $1.13 million.
• Wall Street analysts have revised their price targets for W.W. Grainger, with Morgan Stanley lowering it from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00, while JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised theirs from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00.
• W.W. Grainger recently declared a quarterly dividend of $2.26 per share, reflecting an annual yield of 1.0%, with the payout ratio standing at 22.94%.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lowered its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 43.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,148 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 886 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,134,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 100,843.0% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 692,469 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $684,042,000 after acquiring an additional 691,783 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in shares of 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 valued at $718,769,000 after purchasing an additional 84,595 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 6.9% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 584,854 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $616,465,000 after acquiring an additional 37,894 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 28.9% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 514,326 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $542,126,000 after purchasing an additional 115,290 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 5.2% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 409,289 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $431,428,000 after purchasing an additional 20,176 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In other news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of the firm'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 transaction of $301,056.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 3,369 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,622,348.80. This trade represents a 7.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 6.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW traded up $5.26 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $947.77. 78,813 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 288,129. The firm has a market cap of $45.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.18. 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 stock's 50-day simple moving average is $1,040.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,030.07. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $893.99 and a 52 week high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.52 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.99% and a return on equity of 49.63%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $9.76 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on GWW shares. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price 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. Loop Capital lowered their price objective on 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, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on 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. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target 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.