Van ECK Associates Corp Has $12.96 Million Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Van ECK Associates Corp trimmed its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 0.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,296 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 61 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $12,961,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 24.5% in the fourth quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 4,718 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $4,915,000 after purchasing an additional 927 shares in the last quarter. Guided Capital Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,623,000. Quent Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 23.9% during the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 379 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $399,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the period. Essex Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at $233,000. Finally, Regents Gate Capital LLP purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at $3,398,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.0 %

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,027.68 on Friday. 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 fifty-two week low of $874.98 and a fifty-two week high of $1,227.66. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $1,086.13 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $1,070.93. The firm has a market cap of $50.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.55, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.17.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its earnings results 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 period last year, the business posted $8.33 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on GWW. Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. StockNews.com cut W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of 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 boosted their target price on shares of 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. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target 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.