Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ Raises Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 28.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 140,047 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 30,886 shares during the quarter. W.W. Grainger comprises approximately 0.7% of Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $148,199,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Swedbank AB raised 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 valued at $201,413,000 after purchasing an additional 36,892 shares in the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the third quarter worth approximately $295,000. Assetmark Inc. grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 225.0% during the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 78 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $81,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the third quarter worth approximately $75,000. Finally, Versor Investments LP bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $362,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on GWW. StockNews.com cut shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective 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. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 3rd. UBS Group began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price target on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,151.50.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 1.4 %

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $967.57 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $1,050.31 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,076.17. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $874.98 and a 12-month 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 $46.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.00, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 posted $8.33 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was 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.