Teza Capital Management LLC Has $1.35 Million Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Teza Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 50.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,280 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 431 shares during the period. Teza Capital Management LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,349,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GWW. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in the fourth quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $43,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded down $3.68 during trading on Thursday, reaching $1,077.70. 157,755 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 254,889. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $874.98 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $1,008.33 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,065.16. The company has a current ratio of 2.49, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The firm has a market cap of $51.77 billion, a PE ratio of 27.84, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.24.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.86 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $9.51 by $0.35. The firm had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.31 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $9.62 EPS. Research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Investors of record on Monday, May 12th will be given a dividend of $2.26 per share. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.84%. This is a positive change from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $2.05. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 12th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.21%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 761 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,042.86, for a total value of $793,616.46. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,164 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $997.12, for a total value of $1,160,647.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,235 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,205,523.20. This represents a 10.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,097.00 to $1,144.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. William Blair upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Finally, Wolfe Research cut W.W. Grainger from a "peer perform" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $966.00 price target for the company. in a report on Thursday, April 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,120.00.

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.