W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) Reaches New 1-Year High at $1,034.19

Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $1,034.19 and last traded at $1,033.50, with a volume of 78869 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $1,030.10.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GWW has been the subject of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, September 6th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 price objective for the company. Baird R W lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Robert W. Baird downgraded W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the company from $1,000.00 to $975.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, StockNews.com cut W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,014.11.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $967.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $956.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.30 and a quick ratio of 1.40. The company has a market cap of $50.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.56, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.16.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.58 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.35 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.86% and a return on equity of 53.25%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $9.28 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th were paid a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.79%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.64%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total value of $27,524,551.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $111,650,478.38. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 9.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the second quarter valued at $26,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 170.0% in the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 275.0% during the fourth quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 45 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its stake in W.W. Grainger by 225.0% in the 1st quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 39 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.