Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Raises Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Key Points

• Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 12.6%, now owning 86,903 shares valued at approximately $85.87 million after acquiring an additional 9,700 shares.
• W.W. Grainger reported quarterly earnings of $9.97 per share, slightly missing the consensus estimate, while revenue reached $4.55 billion, an increase of 5.6% year-over-year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $2.26 per share, with an annualized dividend yield of 1.0%, set to be paid on September 1st.

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 12.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 86,903 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 9,700 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned about 0.18% of W.W. Grainger worth $85,865,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the first quarter worth $25,000. Investment Management Corp VA ADV bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 34.3% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 47 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at $54,000. Finally, Columbia River Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at $65,000. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GWW has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective 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 note on Monday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective 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, Loop Capital dropped their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 4th. 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 given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,080.38.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

GWW stock traded down $9.97 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $940.16. The company had a trading volume of 254,462 shares, compared to its average volume of 288,820. The firm has a market cap of $44.97 billion, a PE ratio of 23.86, 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 quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 2.82. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $893.99 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $1,037.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,027.58.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $10.07 by ($0.10). The company had revenue of $4.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.52 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 49.63% and a net margin of 10.99%. The business's revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $9.76 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 11th will be paid a $2.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 11th. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.94%.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In other news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 6.10% of the stock is owned by 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.