Saturna Capital Corp Lowers Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Saturna Capital Corp reduced its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 0.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 81,950 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 30 shares during the period. Saturna Capital Corp owned 0.17% of W.W. Grainger worth $86,379,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC grew 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 worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at $47,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 3.4 %

NYSE GWW opened at $981.16 on Wednesday. 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 fifty day simple moving average of $1,052.04 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,076.94. The company has a current ratio of 2.49, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The stock has a market cap of $47.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18.

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 for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 period last year, the business earned $8.33 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.84%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on GWW. Morgan Stanley increased 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. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. UBS Group initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of 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. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,151.50.

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.