W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Bought by MetLife Investment Management LLC

MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 0.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 13,386 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 123 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $14,110,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Garden State Investment Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 11.7% in the third quarter. Garden State Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 498 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $517,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,675,000. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 2,385 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,477,000 after buying an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 3rd quarter valued at about $848,000. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 6,115 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,352,000 after buying an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

NYSE GWW opened at $1,002.12 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 2.49, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $874.98 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66. The company has a market cap of $48.32 billion, a PE ratio of 25.89, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.20. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $988.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,070.98.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its quarterly 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 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 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.82%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is 21.18%.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In other W.W. Grainger news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,164 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $997.12, for a total value of $1,160,647.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 10,235 shares in the company, valued at $10,205,523.20. This represents a 10.21 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 6.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GWW has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wolfe Research lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “peer perform” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $966.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, William Blair upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,130.89.

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.