Analysts Set W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Target Price at $1,014.11

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) has received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the thirteen analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have issued a hold recommendation and two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $1,005.20.

A number of research firms recently issued reports on GWW. Wolfe Research upgraded W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, September 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Friday, June 14th. Bank of America started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Monday. They set an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 target price for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Friday, September 6th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 price target for the company.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total value of $27,524,551.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 111,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $111,650,478.38. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total transaction of $13,481,538.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 98,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total value of $27,524,551.64. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares in the company, valued at approximately $111,650,478.38. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 170.0% in the 1st 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 in the last quarter. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 225.0% during the 1st quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 39 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the period. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter valued at about $41,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 0.6 %

NYSE GWW opened at $1,028.56 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $988.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $959.52. The company has a market capitalization of $50.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.16. W.W. Grainger has a 52 week low of $674.41 and a 52 week high of $1,049.02. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 2.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.58 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.35 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 53.25% and a net margin of 10.86%. The company’s revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $9.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger will post 38.75 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th were issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.64%.

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.