Spire Wealth Management Lowers Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Spire Wealth Management decreased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 36.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 7,820 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 4,555 shares during the period. Spire Wealth Management's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $6,756,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Sheets Smith Wealth Management lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management now owns 5,731 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $4,749,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 11.5% during the fourth quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 13,885 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $11,292,000 after purchasing an additional 1,432 shares during the period. Sapient Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $504,000. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 352.8% during the fourth quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,449 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,201,000 after purchasing an additional 1,129 shares during the period. Finally, Merit Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $320,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE GWW traded up $8.08 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $940.02. 185,145 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 238,133. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.73, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 2.19. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $977.98 and a 200 day simple moving average of $883.19. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $641.95 and a twelve month high of $1,034.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The industrial products company reported $9.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.57 by $0.05. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 54.31% and a net margin of 10.94%. The company had revenue of $4.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.26 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $9.61 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 39.27 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 13th will be given a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.87%. This is an increase from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is currently 20.54%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on GWW shares. Loop Capital decreased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $975.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 29th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $809.00 to $907.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, April 26th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $740.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 14th. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,075.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $938.89.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In other W.W. Grainger news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 3,813 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $968.88, for a total value of $3,694,339.44. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 4,909 shares in the company, valued at $4,756,231.92. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 3,122 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $950.22, for a total value of $2,966,586.84. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 4,909 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,664,629.98. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 3,813 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $968.88, for a total value of $3,694,339.44. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 4,909 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,756,231.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 9.50% of the company's stock.

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.