CIBC Asset Management Inc Buys 291 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

CIBC Asset Management Inc lifted its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 4.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 6,908 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 291 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $7,281,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sanctuary Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 6,489 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $7,307,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares during the period. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 44.8% during the 4th quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC now owns 1,077 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,135,000 after purchasing an additional 333 shares during the period. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 44.9% during the 4th quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 310 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $327,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Puff Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $280,000. Finally, Myriad Asset Management US LP bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $966,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW opened at $1,021.00 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The stock has a market cap of $49.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.17. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $1,078.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,072.33. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $874.98 and a 52 week high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its earnings results 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 prior year, the company earned $8.33 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.80%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.18%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on GWW. UBS Group initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price for the company. Northcoast Research assumed coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,148.56.

W.W. Grainger 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.