PNC Financial Services Group Inc. Trims Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. reduced its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 16.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 49,199 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 9,687 shares during the quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. owned about 0.10% of W.W. Grainger worth $51,859,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC lifted its position 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 acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. 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 worth $40,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $47,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the third quarter worth about $75,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

GWW stock opened at $1,007.06 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.49. 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 cap of $48.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,054.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,076.68.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted 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 net margin of 11.12% and a return on equity of 52.43%. During the same period last year, the business posted $8.33 earnings per share. On average, equities 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 business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.81%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.18%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on GWW shares. StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. 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. Finally, UBS Group began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus 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.