W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Stock Position Increased by PNC Financial Services Group Inc.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 58,886 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 783 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $61,171,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in GWW. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter worth about $281,104,000. Swedbank AB acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the first quarter valued at approximately $159,365,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 92,754.3% during the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 87,283 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $906,700,000 after purchasing an additional 87,189 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 563.3% in the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 72,300 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $65,232,000 after purchasing an additional 61,400 shares during the period. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 67.9% during the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 143,193 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $129,175,000 after purchasing an additional 57,894 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 0.5 %

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,178.45 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $1,090.24 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $993.70. The firm has a market cap of $57.39 billion, a PE ratio of 31.94, a P/E/G ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.15. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $772.13 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a current ratio of 2.59.

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

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th will be given a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.70%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is 22.23%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on GWW. Wolfe Research upgraded W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, September 22nd. Oppenheimer lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Monday, October 7th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, UBS Group assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,109.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total value of $150,753.75. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 675 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $814,070.25. This trade represents a 15.63 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total transaction of $27,524,551.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 111,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $111,650,478.38. The trade was a 19.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 50,900 shares of company stock worth $52,640,733. 9.50% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.