W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Bought by O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 27.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 11,101 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,408 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $11,701,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of 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 during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at about $43,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $988.35 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $1,024.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,077.69. 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, Inc. has a 1 year low of $874.98 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.66 billion, a PE ratio of 25.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its earnings results 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 quarter last year, the business earned $8.33 EPS. Analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.83%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on GWW. William Blair upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced 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. StockNews.com cut W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced 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 analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued 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 currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,151.50.

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.