W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Sold by Clearbridge Investments LLC

Clearbridge Investments LLC lowered its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 4.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 961,315 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 45,565 shares during the quarter. W.W. Grainger comprises about 0.8% of Clearbridge Investments LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Clearbridge Investments LLC owned 1.97% of W.W. Grainger worth $1,013,274,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the third quarter valued at approximately $294,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% during the 3rd 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. Fisher Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 3rd quarter worth $231,000. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 3rd quarter valued at about $381,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 26,877 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,920,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

NYSE GWW opened at $973.54 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,027.35 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,077.12. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $874.98 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. 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 (NYSE:GWW) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $8.33 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a $2.05 dividend. 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 is 21.18%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com lowered W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. William Blair raised W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,151.50.

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.