Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Cuts Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp decreased its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 0.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 39,289 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 293 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp owned about 0.08% of W.W. Grainger worth $41,413,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of GWW. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 2,233 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,320,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the period. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the third quarter valued at approximately $294,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted 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 during the period. Centaurus Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the third quarter worth approximately $208,000. Finally, Summit Trail Advisors LLC grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 33.0% in the 3rd quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 419 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $436,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $987.55 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $1,032.60 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,077.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The company has a market capitalization of $47.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $874.98 and a 1-year high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share 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 quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $8.33 EPS. Research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

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 0.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on GWW shares. William Blair raised W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. StockNews.com cut W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price 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.