JPMorgan Chase & Co. Cuts W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) Price Target to $1,100.00

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) had its price target trimmed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 in a report issued on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the industrial products company’s stock.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Bank of America began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Monday, October 7th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Baird R W raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, two have given 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 currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,148.56.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.0 %

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,042.41 on Monday. W.W. Grainger has a 1 year low of $874.98 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66. 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 business has a 50 day moving average price of $1,108.46 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,067.04. The company has a market capitalization of $50.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.17.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 previous year, the company posted $8.33 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger will post 41.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.79%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total value of $150,753.75. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 675 shares in the company, valued at approximately $814,070.25. This represents a 15.63 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of GWW. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 250.0% during the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC grew its position 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 acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at $47,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

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.