W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Sold by Los Angeles Capital Management LLC

Los Angeles Capital Management LLC lowered its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 75.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 23,838 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 72,059 shares during the quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $23,548,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Investment Management Corp VA ADV acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $54,000. Columbia River Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 1st quarter valued at $65,000. Finally, Reyes Financial Architecture Inc. raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 22.4% in the 1st quarter. Reyes Financial Architecture Inc. now owns 93 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $92,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of GWW stock traded up $12.88 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $1,035.11. The company had a trading volume of 233,118 shares, compared to its average volume of 254,541. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $893.99 and a 52 week high of $1,227.66. The company has a quick ratio of 1.60, a current ratio of 2.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stock's 50-day moving average is $1,061.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,036.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $49.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18.

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

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 12th were given a $2.26 dividend. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 12th. This is an increase from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $2.05. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is 23.21%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in 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 price target for the company. in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,097.00 to $1,144.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price 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. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted 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. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,116.25.

Insider Buying and Selling 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 W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the vice president directly owned 3,369 shares in the company, valued at $3,622,348.80. This represents a 7.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

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.