Strategic Advocates LLC Takes $1.01 Million Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Key Points

• Strategic Advocates LLC acquired 1,018 shares of W.W. Grainger, valued at approximately $1,006,000, during the first quarter of 2023.
• Insider trading activity included VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli selling 280 shares for $301,056 and VP Laurie R. Thomson selling 761 shares for $793,616, reflecting significant decreases in their ownership.
• Analysts largely maintain a "Hold" rating on W.W. Grainger stock, with a consensus target price of $1,116.25 after various adjustments from firms like JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley.

Strategic Advocates LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 1,018 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $1,006,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in GWW. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the first quarter worth about $25,000. Investment Management Corp VA ADV purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 34.3% in the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 47 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares during the period. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Finally, Columbia River Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the first quarter valued at approximately $65,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 761 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,042.86, for a total transaction of $793,616.46. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 578 shares in the company, valued at approximately $602,773.08. The trade was a 56.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 directly owned 3,369 shares in the company, valued at $3,622,348.80. This trade represents a 7.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on GWW shares. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,097.00 to $1,144.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. 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. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective 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. Two 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,116.25.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 10.3%

GWW stock traded down $107.29 on Friday, hitting $932.25. 1,263,025 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 324,513. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $1,051.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $1,034.15. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $893.99 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The stock has a market cap of $44.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.60 and a current ratio of 2.74.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 51.28% and a net margin of 11.08%. The business 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 business posted $9.76 EPS. W.W. Grainger's revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared 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 1.0%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is presently 23.21%.

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.