Bridges Investment Management Inc. Makes New $300,000 Investment in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Bridges Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 333 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $300,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 170.0% in the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 17 shares during the period. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 225.0% during the first quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 39 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at $41,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW opened at $1,032.22 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 2.30. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $970.23 and a 200 day moving average of $956.01. The firm has a market cap of $50.65 billion, a PE ratio of 28.50, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.16. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $674.41 and a one year high of $1,037.23.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.58 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.35 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.86% and a return on equity of 53.25%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $9.28 earnings per share. As a group, research 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 given a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.79%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.64%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GWW has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Friday, September 6th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 price objective for the company. Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, June 14th. Baird R W cut shares of W.W. Grainger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. Robert W. Baird cut shares of W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $1,000.00 to $975.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,014.11.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 transaction, 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 filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

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.