Blue Trust Inc. Reduces Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Blue Trust Inc. reduced its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWWFree Report) by 84.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 113 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 593 shares during the quarter. Blue Trust Inc.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $119,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in GWW. Swedbank AB boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 23.5% during the third quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 193,888 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $201,413,000 after purchasing an additional 36,892 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 7.0% during the third quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,167 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,212,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 10.1% during the third quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 1,491 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,549,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the period. IFM Investors Pty Ltd boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.3% during the third quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 9,152 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $9,507,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Finally, Dakota Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 12.2% during the third quarter. Dakota Wealth Management now owns 3,235 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $3,360,000 after purchasing an additional 351 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 1.6 %

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,008.08 on Friday. 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, Inc. has a 12 month low of $874.98 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $1,072.84 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,072.39. The firm has a market cap of $49.09 billion, a PE ratio of 26.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.17.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWWGet Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.75 by ($0.04). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $8.33 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is 21.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. UBS Group assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price objective for the company. Northcoast Research assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,148.56.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on W.W. Grainger

W.W. Grainger Profile

(Free Report)

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.

Further Reading

Institutional Ownership by Quarter for W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW)

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