W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Sold by Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec

Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec cut its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 42.4% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 65,680 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 48,322 shares during the period. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $68,229,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $281,104,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 92,754.3% during the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 87,283 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $906,700,000 after acquiring an additional 87,189 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 563.3% during the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 72,300 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $65,232,000 after buying an additional 61,400 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 67.9% in the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 143,193 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $129,175,000 after purchasing an additional 57,894 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Champlain Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $55,815,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.0 %

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $1,205.34 on Friday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $775.00 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The business has a 50 day moving average of $1,117.48 and a 200-day moving average of $1,005.90. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market cap of $58.70 billion, a PE ratio of 32.67, a P/E/G ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 1.15.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.98 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $9.43 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.92 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.23%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on GWW shares. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. UBS Group initiated coverage on 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. Northcoast Research started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Finally, Loop Capital increased their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,109.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total transaction of $778,335.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 9,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,513,055.31. This trade represents a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total value of $27,524,551.64. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares in the company, valued at $111,650,478.38. The trade was a 19.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 50,900 shares of company stock worth $52,640,733. Insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

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.