W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Stock Holdings Reduced by Tredje AP fonden

Key Points

• Tredje AP fonden reduced its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. by 55.2%, owning 2,593 shares worth $2,561,000 after selling 3,200 shares this quarter.
• W.W. Grainger's quarterly earnings per share (EPS) reached $9.86, surpassing estimates of $9.51, with revenue standing at $4.31 billion, reflecting a 1.7% increase year-over-year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $2.26 per share, resulting in an annualized dividend of $9.04, yielding 0.87% with a payout ratio of 23.21%.

Tredje AP fonden lowered its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 55.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,593 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 3,200 shares during the quarter. Tredje AP fonden's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,561,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Investment Management Corp VA ADV acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its stake in 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 in the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Finally, Columbia River Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $65,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW traded up $1.43 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $933.87. The company had a trading volume of 178,315 shares, compared to its average volume of 286,007. The stock has a market cap of $44.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.75, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.18. 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 2.82 and a quick ratio of 1.64. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $1,051.42 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,033.62.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its 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). The business had revenue of $4.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.52 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.99% and a return on equity of 49.63%. The firm's revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $9.76 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 11th will be given a dividend of $2.26 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 11th. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.94%.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In related news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of W.W. Grainger 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 transaction, the vice president directly owned 3,369 shares in the company, valued at $3,622,348.80. The trade was a 7.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, 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 value of $793,616.46. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 578 shares in the company, valued at $602,773.08. This represents a 56.83% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 6.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on GWW. Morgan Stanley lowered 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. 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 research report on Tuesday, May 27th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased 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 research report on Monday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, two have assigned 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 an average target price of $1,099.13.

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.