New Age Alpha Advisors LLC Raises Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Key Points

• New Age Alpha Advisors LLC significantly increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. by 60,560.0% during the first quarter, owning 3,033 shares valued at approximately $2.996 million.
• W.W. Grainger reported a quarterly EPS of $9.97, missing analysts' expectations by $0.10, but its revenue rose 5.6% year-over-year to $4.55 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $2.26, with an annualized yield of 1.0%, to be paid to investors on September 1st.

New Age Alpha Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 60,560.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,033 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 3,028 shares during the quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,996,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 486 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $480,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Zacks Investment Management grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 545 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $575,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Crew Capital Management Ltd. grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 4.7% during the 1st quarter. Crew Capital Management Ltd. now owns 270 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $267,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares during the period. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew 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 valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares during the period. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 10.3% during the 1st quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $126,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded up $6.24 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $948.75. 208,663 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 404,106. The company's 50 day moving average price is $1,037.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,028.88. The firm has a market cap of $45.38 billion, a PE ratio of 24.07, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 2.82 and a quick ratio of 1.64. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $893.99 and a 52 week high of $1,227.66.

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

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 11th will be issued a $2.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 11th. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is currently 22.94%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of the business's 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 transaction, the vice president directly owned 3,369 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,622,348.80. The trade was a 7.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GWW has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted 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. Loop Capital cut their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut 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. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,080.38.

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.