Morgan Stanley Issues Positive Forecast for W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) Stock Price

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) had its price target boosted by Morgan Stanley from $990.00 to $1,215.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “equal weight” rating on the industrial products company’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 3.66% from the company’s previous close.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Loop Capital increased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Baird R W raised W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Bank of America started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Monday, October 7th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 price target for the company. Finally, Northcoast Research started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,109.00.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,172.13 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.77, a PEG ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.15. The business has a 50-day moving average of $1,082.55 and a 200-day moving average of $990.71. W.W. Grainger has a 1 year low of $772.13 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.98 by ($0.11). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The business had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.40 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $9.43 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger will post 38.92 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total transaction of $10,705,553.68. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 4,379 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,895,021.36. This trade represents a 68.62 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total value of $13,481,538.56. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 98,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. This trade represents a 11.65 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 50,900 shares of company stock valued at $52,640,733. Insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. HWG Holdings LP bought a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 250.0% during the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 111.1% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Triad Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 537.5% in the 1st quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 51 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% 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.