422 Shares in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Purchased by Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC

Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 422 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $445,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Apollon Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 80.1% during the fourth quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,666 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,810,000 after acquiring an additional 1,186 shares in the last quarter. Vest Financial LLC increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 52,431 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $55,265,000 after purchasing an additional 542 shares during the period. Realta Investment Advisors raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Realta Investment Advisors now owns 824 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $868,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Triasima Portfolio Management inc. purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth about $243,000. Finally, Lecap Asset Management Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,606,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction that occurred 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 in the company, 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 SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

GWW opened at $1,038.42 on Tuesday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $874.98 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $1,098.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,069.84. The firm has a market cap of $50.57 billion, a PE ratio of 26.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 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 (NYSE:GWW) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share (EPS) 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 quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $8.33 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.79%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is 21.18%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GWW has been the subject of a number of research reports. Baird R W raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Loop Capital increased their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. Finally, Northcoast Research assumed coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently 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.