Lazard Asset Management LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 25.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,305 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 2,684 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $14,024,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of GWW. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth $37,000. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth $43,000. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW traded up $17.92 during trading on Friday, reaching $1,102.43. 382,705 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 255,315. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $1,000.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1,065.46. The stock has a market cap of $52.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.48, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.24. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $874.98 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The company has a current ratio of 2.49, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released 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. The business had revenue of $4.31 billion during 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 was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $9.62 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 12th will be paid a dividend of $2.26 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 12th. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.82%. This is a positive change from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $2.05. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.21%.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 761 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the vice president now owns 578 shares in the company, valued at $602,773.08. The trade was a 56.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,164 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 10,235 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,205,523.20. This represents a 10.21% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

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.