W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Sold by Vectors Research Management LLC

Vectors Research Management LLC lowered its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 10.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,005 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 224 shares during the quarter. Vectors Research Management LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,114,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of GWW. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 43.5% during the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth $37,000. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at $43,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,002.12 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The company has a market capitalization of $48.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.20. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $988.83 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,070.98.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 earned $8.33 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders 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 0.82%. 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 equities research analysts have commented on GWW shares. William Blair upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. Wolfe Research downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “peer perform” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $966.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price 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. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,130.89.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,164 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $997.12, for a total transaction of $1,160,647.68. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 10,235 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,205,523.20. This trade represents a 10.21 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 6.10% 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.