Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC Raises Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 7.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,013 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 263 shares during the period. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $3,964,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GWW. Brighton Jones LLC increased 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 valued at $338,000 after buying an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at about $175,000. Assetmark Inc. increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 159.0% in the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 202 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $213,000 after buying an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 205.3% in the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 116 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $122,000 after buying an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at about $42,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE GWW opened at $1,036.44 on Wednesday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $888.75 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $1,061.83 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,038.14. The firm has a market cap of $49.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.60 and a current ratio of 2.74.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.86 earnings per share (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 firm had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.31 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $9.62 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger's revenue was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 12th were issued a $2.26 dividend. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 12th. This is a positive change from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $2.05. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 23.21%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on GWW shares. Wolfe Research cut shares of W.W. Grainger from a "peer perform" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $966.00 target price for the company. in a report on Thursday, April 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective 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, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,097.00 to $1,144.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,123.13.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the vice president 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 761 shares of W.W. Grainger 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 transaction, the vice president owned 578 shares in the company, valued at $602,773.08. The trade was a 56.83% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 6.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.

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