W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Holdings Lifted by National Bank of Canada FI

Key Points

• National Bank of Canada FI increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 86.8% during the first quarter, owning approximately $33.48 million worth of shares.
• Analysts have mixed ratings for W.W. Grainger, with a consensus rating of "Hold" and a target price ranging around $1,080.38.
• W.W. Grainger reported quarterly earnings of $9.97 per share, slightly missing estimates, while revenues grew 5.6% year-over-year.

National Bank of Canada FI lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 86.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 33,894 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 15,750 shares during the quarter. National Bank of Canada FI owned about 0.07% of W.W. Grainger worth $33,481,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Citigroup Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 43.5% during the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 65,159 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $64,366,000 after acquiring an additional 19,746 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 12.6% in the 1st quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 86,903 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $85,865,000 after buying an additional 9,700 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 4.5% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 306,829 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $303,095,000 after buying an additional 13,330 shares in the last quarter. ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 1st quarter worth $11,711,000. Finally, Hemington Wealth Management lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 1,139 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,125,000 after buying an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 6.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 2.2%

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock traded up $20.40 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $960.16. The company had a trading volume of 200,888 shares, compared to its average volume of 389,215. The company has a market cap of $45.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $893.99 and a fifty-two week high of $1,227.66. The firm's fifty day moving average is $1,032.45 and its 200-day moving average is $1,025.85. 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 (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $10.07 by ($0.10). The business had revenue of $4.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $9.76 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on GWW. Loop Capital cut 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 report on Monday, August 4th. Morgan Stanley cut 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 report on Friday, July 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective 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, Royal Bank Of Canada cut 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 report 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,080.38.

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.