Mizuho Securities USA LLC Reduces Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Key Points

• Mizuho Securities USA LLC reduced its stock position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. by 15.5%, selling 652 shares and holding 3,548 shares valued at $3.5 million as of the latest SEC filing.
• W.W. Grainger reported earnings per share of $9.97 for the last quarter, missing the consensus estimate by $0.10, while its revenue was $4.55 billion, slightly above expectations.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $2.26 per share, with the ex-dividend date set for August 11th, representing an annualized dividend yield of 1.0%.

Mizuho Securities USA LLC decreased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 15.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,548 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 652 shares during the quarter. Mizuho Securities USA LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $3,505,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,388,378 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $5,322,801,000 after acquiring an additional 57,690 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 10.1% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 822,411 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $812,403,000 after purchasing an additional 75,644 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 100,843.0% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 692,469 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $684,042,000 after buying an additional 691,783 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 14.2% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 681,912 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $718,769,000 after buying an additional 84,595 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 6.9% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 584,854 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $616,465,000 after acquiring an additional 37,894 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW traded down $2.48 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $972.09. 64,988 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 286,376. The company has a market cap of $46.49 billion, a PE ratio of 24.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 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. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $1,028.38 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,024.46. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $893.99 and a 1-year high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $10.07 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $4.55 billion for 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%. W.W. Grainger's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $9.76 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 11th will be given a $2.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 11th. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is currently 22.94%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GWW has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Loop Capital reduced their price objective on 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 equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,080.38.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the vice president owned 3,369 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,622,348.80. This represents a 7.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 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.