Gulf International Bank UK Ltd Sells 39 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Gulf International Bank UK Ltd trimmed its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 1.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,291 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 39 shares during the quarter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $3,468,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the third 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 in the last quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth $47,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the third quarter valued at $75,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. UBS Group began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of 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 raised their price target on 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. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,148.56.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of GWW opened at $1,012.26 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $1,064.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,073.55. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $874.98 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66. The company has a market cap of $48.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.17.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 last year, the firm posted $8.33 earnings per share. As a group, 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.81%. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is 21.18%.

W.W. Grainger Company Profile

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.