Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund Cuts Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund cut its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 19.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 10,231 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 2,500 shares during the quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $10,784,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Swedbank AB increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 23.5% in the third quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 193,888 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $201,413,000 after purchasing an additional 36,892 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 10.1% in the third quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 1,491 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,549,000 after buying an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $209,000. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC now owns 533 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $554,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 5,155 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $5,340,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,008.08 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,072.84 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,074.09. The stock has a market cap of $48.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $874.98 and a 1-year high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 in the previous year, the business earned $8.33 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.81%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Northcoast Research began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,148.56.

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.