3,642 Shares in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Purchased by Madison Investment Advisors LLC

Madison Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 3,642 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,839,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth about $47,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on GWW shares. StockNews.com cut W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. William Blair raised W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Finally, 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 on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,151.50.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.2 %

GWW stock opened at $971.57 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $1,038.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,075.33. The stock has a market cap of $46.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.10, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $874.98 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66. 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 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 net margin of 11.12% and a return on equity of 52.43%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $8.33 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.84%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.18%.

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.