W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Bought by Van ECK Associates Corp

Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 6.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 10,329 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 586 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $10,508,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Bfsg LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 170.0% during the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 17 shares during the period. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 275.0% during the 4th quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 45 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

NYSE GWW traded up $0.94 on Friday, reaching $916.45. The stock had a trading volume of 77,804 shares, compared to its average volume of 241,199. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 2.19. The stock has a market cap of $44.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.17. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $925.21 and its 200 day moving average price is $927.37. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $674.41 and a 12-month high of $1,034.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The industrial products company reported $9.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.57 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $4.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.26 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.94% and a return on equity of 54.31%. W.W. Grainger’s quarterly revenue was up 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $9.61 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 39.22 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 13th were issued a $2.05 dividend. This is a positive change from W.W. Grainger’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.89%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is 22.64%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GWW has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, June 14th. Robert W. Baird downgraded W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $1,000.00 to $975.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. StockNews.com cut W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Baird R W lowered W.W. Grainger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, Loop Capital lowered their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $975.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $959.44.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Matt Fortin sold 511 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.20, for a total value of $467,667.20. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,848 shares in the company, valued at $1,691,289.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 9.50% 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.