W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) Given New $1,100.00 Price Target at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) had its target price cut by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 in a research report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the industrial products company’s stock.

Several other research firms have also commented on GWW. Robert W. Baird raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. UBS Group started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price objective on the stock. Northcoast Research initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Finally, Oppenheimer lowered W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,148.56.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW stock opened at $1,047.05 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.49. The firm has a market cap of $50.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.05, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.17. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $1,115.20 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,066.53. W.W. Grainger has a one year low of $874.98 and a one year high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.75 by ($0.04). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. During the same period last year, the firm earned $8.33 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger will post 41.91 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.78%. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total value of $150,753.75. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 675 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $814,070.25. The trade was a 15.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of W.W. Grainger

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GWW. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew 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 buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 43.5% during the fourth quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth $47,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

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.