Locust Wood Capital Advisers LLC Makes New Investment in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Key Points

• Locust Wood Capital Advisers LLC acquired a stake in W.W. Grainger, purchasing 790 shares valued at approximately $780,000 in the first quarter.
• Wall Street analysts have adjusted their price targets for W.W. Grainger, with a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,080.38.
• W.W. Grainger recently declared a quarterly dividend of $2.26 per share, which reflects an annualized dividend yield of 1.0% and highlights a 22.94% payout ratio.

Locust Wood Capital Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 790 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $780,000.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Investment Management Corp VA ADV acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 34.3% during the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 47 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the period. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $54,000. Finally, Columbia River Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter worth approximately $65,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded up $16.36 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $956.12. The company had a trading volume of 76,838 shares, compared to its average volume of 287,364. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $1,035.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,026.31. The company has a market capitalization of $45.73 billion, a PE ratio of 24.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 2.82 and a quick ratio of 1.64. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $893.99 and a one year high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $10.07 by ($0.10). The business had revenue of $4.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $9.76 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Shareholders 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 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is 22.94%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

GWW has been the topic of several recent research reports. Loop Capital cut their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price 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 report on Monday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target 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 report on Friday, July 11th. Two 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,080.38.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other W.W. Grainger 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 directly owned 3,369 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,622,348.80. The trade was a 7.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

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.