Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. Buys 1,041 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Key Points

• Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 6.0%, acquiring an additional 1,041 shares, bringing their total holdings to 18,284 shares valued at approximately $18 million.
• W.W. Grainger's stock showed a recent price increase of 2.2%, trading at $960.16, with a market capitalization of approximately $45.93 billion.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $2.26 per share, representing an annualized dividend yield of 0.9% with a payout ratio of 22.94%.

Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 6.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 18,284 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,041 shares during the quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd.'s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $18,011,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 1.1% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,388,378 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $5,322,801,000 after buying an additional 57,690 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 10.1% in the first 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 raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 100,843.0% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 692,469 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $684,042,000 after purchasing an additional 691,783 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 14.2% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 681,912 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $718,769,000 after acquiring an additional 84,595 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 37,894 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In other news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 3,369 shares in the company, valued at $3,622,348.80. The trade was 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 through this link. Insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of GWW traded down $3.96 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $970.60. The stock had a trading volume of 237,292 shares, compared to its average volume of 287,528. The company's 50-day moving average is $1,028.38 and its 200 day moving average is $1,024.46. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $893.99 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The company has a current ratio of 2.82, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The company has a market capitalization of $46.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 1.18.

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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.52 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 49.63% and a net margin of 10.99%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $9.76 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal 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 paid a dividend of $2.26 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 11th. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is presently 22.94%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 4th. Loop Capital lowered their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on 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, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given 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.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,080.38.

W.W. Grainger 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.