W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW Shares Sold by Russell Investments Group Ltd.

Key Points

• Russell Investments Group Ltd. has reduced its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. by 6.0%, now holding 41,791 shares worth approximately $41 million.
• W.W. Grainger's stock has seen a slight decline of 0.6%, with a market cap of $46.67 billion and a recent earnings report indicating an EPS of $9.97, missing expectations.
• The company has announced a quarterly dividend of $2.26 to be paid on September 1st, with a 0.9% dividend yield based on an annualized payout of $9.04.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. trimmed its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 6.0% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 41,791 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 2,650 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned approximately 0.09% of W.W. Grainger worth $41,069,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased 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 purchasing an additional 57,690 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings 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 worth $812,403,000 after acquiring an additional 75,644 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in 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 purchasing an additional 691,783 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in 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 purchasing 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 shares of W.W. Grainger by 6.9% in 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 valued at $616,465,000 after purchasing an additional 37,894 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of GWW traded up $10.33 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $980.26. 204,706 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 286,860. The business has a 50 day moving average of $1,025.90 and a 200 day moving average of $1,022.01. The company has a market capitalization of $46.89 billion, a PE ratio of 24.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $893.99 and a 1-year high of $1,227.66. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57.

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 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $10.07 by ($0.10). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.99% and a return on equity of 49.63%. The firm had revenue of $4.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.52 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $9.76 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. 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. increased 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. Loop Capital cut their price target on 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. 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 research note on Friday, July 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,080.38.

Insider Activity

In other W.W. Grainger news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of the company's 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 sale, the vice president directly owned 3,369 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,622,348.80. This 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 can be accessed through this link. 6.10% of the stock is currently owned by company 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.