KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Decreases Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS trimmed its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 6.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 21,830 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,500 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $21,564,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 46.8% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 320 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $338,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $175,000. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth $410,000. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 60,711 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $63,993,000 after purchasing an additional 712 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LPL Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 11.0% during the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 64,642 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $68,473,000 after purchasing an additional 6,429 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW traded up $1.72 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $1,053.93. The company had a trading volume of 241,362 shares, compared to its average volume of 324,981. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.06, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $893.99 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $1,057.48 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,035.94. The company has a quick ratio of 1.60, a current ratio of 2.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.86 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $9.51 by $0.35. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 11.08% and a return on equity of 51.28%. The business had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.31 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $9.62 EPS. The business's revenue was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th were paid a dividend of $2.26 per share. This is a positive change from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $2.05. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.86%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 12th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is presently 23.21%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GWW has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,097.00 to $1,144.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Wolfe Research downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "peer perform" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $966.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target 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. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective 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 given a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,116.25.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

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

About W.W. Grainger

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.