W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Sold by Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC cut its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 1.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,272 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 22 shares during the quarter. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,341,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in the fourth quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at $47,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the third quarter valued at $75,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE GWW opened at $1,021.00 on Monday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $874.98 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The company has a market capitalization of $49.23 billion, a PE ratio of 26.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $1,063.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,075.62.

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

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on GWW shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,148.56.

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.