W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Stake Reduced by Mediolanum International Funds Ltd

Mediolanum International Funds Ltd decreased its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 10.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 32,338 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 3,641 shares during the quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd owned 0.07% of W.W. Grainger worth $34,136,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of GWW. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $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. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 38.9% in the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the period. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 3rd quarter valued at $75,000. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In other news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 675 shares in the company, valued at $814,070.25. This represents a 15.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total value 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 represents a 68.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on GWW shares. Oppenheimer lowered W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Loop Capital raised their target price on W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Northcoast Research assumed coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price for the company. One research 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.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,140.56.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of GWW opened at $1,125.99 on Friday. 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 cap of $54.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.18. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $1,121.45 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,063.88. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $874.98 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted 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 firm had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.40 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $9.43 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger’s revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.95 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.73%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is 22.23%.

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.