W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Purchased by Janus Henderson Group PLC

Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 36.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,506 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 2,548 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $9,664,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of GWW. Bfsg LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at $26,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in 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 valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 275.0% during the fourth quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 45 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Loop Capital lowered their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $975.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 29th. Baird R W lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Robert W. Baird lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $1,000.00 to $975.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Erste Group Bank reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Friday, June 14th. Finally, Stephens upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the company from $1,000.00 to $1,250.00 in a research report on Monday, April 29th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $997.75.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW opened at $942.36 on Friday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $674.41 and a twelve month high of $1,034.18. The company has a current ratio of 2.19, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The company has a market capitalization of $46.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.02, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.17. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $925.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $943.81.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

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

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.