W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) VP Sells $150,753.75 in Stock

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total transaction of $150,753.75. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 675 shares in the company, valued at $814,070.25. This trade represents a 15.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock traded up $2.32 during trading on Friday, reaching $1,178.33. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 228,414 shares, compared to its average volume of 235,665. The firm has a market cap of $57.38 billion, a PE ratio of 31.89, a P/E/G ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $1,073.95 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $986.32. The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $772.13 and a fifty-two week high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.98 by ($0.11). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The business had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.40 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $9.43 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger’s quarterly revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.91 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 11th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is currently 22.23%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter worth $281,104,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 17.4% in the first quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 1,148,051 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,167,913,000 after purchasing an additional 169,897 shares during the period. Swedbank AB purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $159,365,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 92,754.3% during the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 87,283 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $906,700,000 after purchasing an additional 87,189 shares during the period. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 563.3% in the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 72,300 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $65,232,000 after buying an additional 61,400 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GWW has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, September 22nd. Bank of America assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Monday, October 7th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 price objective on the stock. Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,086.50.

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.