Longboard Asset Management LP Invests $211,000 in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Longboard Asset Management LP acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 200 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $211,000.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Patron Partners LLC increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Patron Partners LLC now owns 2,051 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,162,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the period. Columbus Macro LLC increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 484.2% during the fourth quarter. Columbus Macro LLC now owns 5,830 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,145,000 after buying an additional 4,832 shares during the period. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC now owns 238 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $251,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. Chicago Capital LLC increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. Chicago Capital LLC now owns 3,864 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $4,073,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, FSM Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth $1,713,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total transaction of $150,753.75. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 675 shares in the company, valued at approximately $814,070.25. The trade was a 15.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 9.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on GWW shares. 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. 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. UBS Group started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price on the stock. Robert W. Baird raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. One research 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.com, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,148.56.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE GWW opened at $1,042.87 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $1,111.73 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,067.22. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $874.98 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66. 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 quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.75 by ($0.04). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 11.12% and a return on equity of 52.43%. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $8.33 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 41.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

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

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.