W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) has been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the thirteen ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $1,148.56.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on GWW. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Robert W. Baird raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Baird R W upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. UBS Group started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Oppenheimer cut W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $1,038.42 on Thursday. 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’s 50-day moving average is $1,098.71 and its 200-day moving average is $1,069.84. The company has a market capitalization of $50.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.17.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its quarterly 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 last year, the business earned $8.33 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In other W.W. Grainger news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total transaction of $150,753.75. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 675 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $814,070.25. This trade represents a 15.63 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its stake in W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of 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 during the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings 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 worth $40,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $42,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.