Bailard Inc. Has $742,000 Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Bailard Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 3.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 704 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the quarter. Bailard Inc.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $742,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Swedbank AB boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 23.5% during the third quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 193,888 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $201,413,000 after purchasing an additional 36,892 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 5.7% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,456 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,513,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 10.6% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 12,357 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $13,500,000 after buying an additional 1,181 shares during the period. Angeles Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in W.W. Grainger by 46.4% in the 3rd quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 429 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $446,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northeast Investment Management bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 3rd quarter valued at about $208,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 2.2 %

GWW opened at $999.11 on Tuesday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $874.98 and a 1-year high of $1,227.66. The company has a current ratio of 2.49, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The company has a market cap of $48.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.81, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.17. The company’s 50 day moving average is $1,061.50 and its 200-day moving average is $1,075.91.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced 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 prior year, the firm earned $8.33 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.82%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GWW has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. 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 objective for the company. StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective 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. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price 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. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,148.56.

W.W. Grainger 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.