Twinbeech Capital LP Makes New $54.03 Million Investment in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Twinbeech Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 51,259 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $54,030,000. W.W. Grainger makes up about 0.9% of Twinbeech Capital LP's investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position. Twinbeech Capital LP owned approximately 0.11% of W.W. Grainger as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in GWW. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth $535,910,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth $267,529,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth $175,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 28.9% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 514,326 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $542,126,000 after acquiring an additional 115,290 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 14.2% in the 4th 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 in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of GWW stock traded down $3.68 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $1,077.70. 157,755 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 255,053. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $874.98 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The business's fifty day moving average is $1,008.33 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,065.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $51.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.24.

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

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th will be issued a $2.26 dividend. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend 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 presently 23.21%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of 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. William Blair raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Wolfe Research cut shares of W.W. Grainger from a "peer perform" rating to an "underperform" rating and set a $966.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective 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. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,120.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,164 shares of the 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 transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 10,235 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,205,523.20. This trade represents a 10.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 761 shares of the 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 transaction, the vice president now directly owns 578 shares in the company, valued at $602,773.08. This trade represents a 56.83% 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.

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.