1,040 Shares in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Acquired by Pollock Investment Advisors LLC

Pollock Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 1,040 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,096,000. W.W. Grainger makes up about 0.9% of Pollock Investment Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of GWW. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in 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 valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. 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 purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth $43,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 1.5 %

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $968.06 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $46.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $874.98 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,046.85 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,076.04. 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 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 period in the prior year, the company earned $8.33 EPS. Analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company 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. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.85%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.18%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on GWW. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. William Blair raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price 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. Royal Bank of Canada dropped 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. Finally, StockNews.com lowered W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,151.50.

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.