Vista Investment Partners LLC Buys 50 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Vista Investment Partners LLC grew its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 1.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,961 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Vista Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,672,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in GWW. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 3,178 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,633,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Ardevora Asset Management LLP bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at about $11,075,000. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 119.5% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 36.6% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 9,506 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $9,664,000 after purchasing an additional 2,548 shares during the last quarter. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 11.5% in the fourth quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 13,885 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $11,292,000 after buying an additional 1,432 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE GWW traded up $7.53 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $966.37. 294,787 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 246,183. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 2.30. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $674.41 and a one year high of $1,034.18. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $935.30 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $951.51. The company has a market cap of $47.42 billion, a PE ratio of 26.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.17.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.58 by $0.18. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.86% and a return on equity of 53.25%. The business had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $9.28 EPS. W.W. Grainger’s quarterly revenue was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 39.1 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 12th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.85%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.64%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Loop Capital cut their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $975.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 29th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Baird R W downgraded W.W. Grainger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Stephens raised W.W. Grainger from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price target for the company from $1,000.00 to $1,250.00 in a research note on Monday, April 29th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,017.13.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

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

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.