Merit Financial Group LLC Buys 470 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Merit Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 124.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 848 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 470 shares during the quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $838,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Investment Management Corp VA ADV bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Atala Financial Inc acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at $47,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of NYSE GWW opened at $1,094.92 on Monday. The company's 50 day moving average price is $1,032.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,055.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.49. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $888.75 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66. The company has a market capitalization of $52.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.21.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.86 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $9.51 by $0.35. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 11.12% and a return on equity of 52.43%. The business had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.31 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $9.62 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 12th were paid a $2.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 12th. 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 yield of 0.83%. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is 23.21%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. William Blair raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. Wolfe Research cut 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 note on Thursday, April 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on 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, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,097.00 to $1,144.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,123.13.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, 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 value of $793,616.46. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 578 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $602,773.08. This trade represents a 56.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of the business's 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 sale, the vice president now owns 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 2,205 shares of company stock worth $2,255,320. Corporate insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

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.

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