Coho Partners Ltd. Has $73.45 Million Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Coho Partners Ltd. decreased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 35.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 69,684 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 38,782 shares during the quarter. W.W. Grainger accounts for approximately 3.4% of Coho Partners Ltd.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest position. Coho Partners Ltd. owned 0.14% of W.W. Grainger worth $73,451,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 250.0% during the third 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 during the last quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 43.5% during the fourth quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $47,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GWW has been the topic of several analyst reports. Loop Capital upped their target price 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. Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 3rd. UBS Group began 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. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,148.56.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $1,028.34 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $50.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.57, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.17. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $1,089.28 and its 200-day moving average is $1,069.78. 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 quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 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 in the previous year, the business earned $8.33 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio 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.