W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) have received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the thirteen research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $1,151.50.

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on GWW shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on 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. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on 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. 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 research note on Tuesday, November 19th. StockNews.com lowered W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price objective for the company.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of GWW opened at $1,007.06 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $48.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.02, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.17. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $1,055.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,074.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. W.W. Grainger has a 12 month low of $874.98 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 in the prior year, the firm posted $8.33 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.81%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is 21.18%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC raised its position in 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 valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the period. Investment Management Corp VA ADV acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in 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 valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.