Vanguard Group Inc. Boosts Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Key Points

• Vanguard Group Inc. has increased its ownership in W.W. Grainger, Inc. by 1.1%, bringing its total stake to approximately 11.22% with a value of over $5.32 billion.
• W.W. Grainger reported quarterly earnings of $9.97 per share, falling short of analysts’ expectations, while its revenue was slightly above predictions at $4.55 billion.
• The company has announced a quarterly dividend of $2.26 per share, which will be paid to stockholders on September 1st, representing an annualized dividend yield of 0.9%.

Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 1.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,388,378 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 57,690 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 11.22% of W.W. Grainger worth $5,322,801,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.1% during the first quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 486 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $480,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 3.2% in the first quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 323 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $319,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the period. Zacks Investment Management increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 545 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $575,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Crew Capital Management Ltd. increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 4.7% in the first quarter. Crew Capital Management Ltd. now owns 270 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $267,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the period. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 34.3% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 47 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

GWW stock traded up $6.24 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $948.75. 208,663 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 404,106. 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 company has a market capitalization of $45.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.07, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $893.99 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $1,037.69 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,028.88.

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

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 11th will be issued a $2.26 dividend. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is presently 22.94%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

GWW has been the subject of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target 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. Loop Capital dropped their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted 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 note on Tuesday, May 27th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on 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. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,080.38.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 3,369 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,622,348.80. The trade was a 7.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 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.