Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Trims Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lowered its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 4.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,400 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 100 shares during the quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,530,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the third quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in 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 purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth about $47,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.1 %

NYSE GWW opened at $1,028.34 on Friday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $1,089.28 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,069.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.49. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $874.98 and a one year high of $1,227.66. The company has a market capitalization of $50.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.17.

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 return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $8.33 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on GWW. Loop Capital raised their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Northcoast Research began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price 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.