Unique Wealth LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Unique Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 18.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,501 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 235 shares during the period. Unique Wealth LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,559,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 170.0% during the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. HWG Holdings LP bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter worth approximately $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.9 %

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,029.15 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $983.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $959.49. 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 company has a market cap of $50.50 billion, a PE ratio of 28.41, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.16. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $674.41 and a fifty-two week high of $1,049.02.

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

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th were issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.80%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.64%.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In other W.W. Grainger news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total transaction of $13,481,538.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 98,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other W.W. Grainger news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total value of $13,481,538.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 98,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total transaction of $27,524,551.64. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $111,650,478.38. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 9.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

GWW has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Friday, June 14th. Wolfe Research raised W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, September 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Friday, September 6th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,014.11.

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.