Lbp Am Sa Decreases Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Lbp Am Sa cut its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 9.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,366 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 139 shares during the quarter. Lbp Am Sa’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,390,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 3,178 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,633,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Ardevora Asset Management LLP purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at $11,075,000. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 119.5% during the 4th quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP now owns 2,364 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,959,000 after purchasing an additional 1,287 shares during the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 11.5% during the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 13,885 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $11,292,000 after purchasing an additional 1,432 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 6.0% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 108,933 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $90,272,000 after purchasing an additional 6,197 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Loop Capital decreased their price objective 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. StockNews.com lowered W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, June 14th. Stephens raised W.W. Grainger from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $1,000.00 to $1,250.00 in a report on Monday, April 29th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $1,000.00 to $975.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $997.75.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

NYSE GWW traded down $34.45 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $942.36. The company had a trading volume of 573,028 shares, compared to its average volume of 246,327. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $674.41 and a 52 week high of $1,034.18. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $925.37 and a 200 day simple moving average of $943.82. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $46.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.65, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.17.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 12th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.87%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.64%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Matt Fortin sold 511 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.20, for a total transaction of $467,667.20. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 1,848 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,691,289.60. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

About W.W. Grainger

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.