Simplicity Wealth LLC Sells 1,051 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Simplicity Wealth LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 55.4% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 845 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,051 shares during the period. Simplicity Wealth LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $878,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. FIL Ltd grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 21.4% during the fourth quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 240,856 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $199,595,000 after buying an additional 42,395 shares in the last quarter. Cim LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $224,000. Integrated Advisors Network LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at about $201,000. Syon Capital LLC grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 35.3% during the 4th quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 541 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $448,000 after buying an additional 141 shares during the period. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 5.8 %

Shares of GWW opened at $1,085.04 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 2.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $994.06 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $960.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $53.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.96, a PEG ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 1.16. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $674.41 and a twelve month high of $1,088.84.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.58 by $0.18. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 53.25% and a net margin of 10.86%. The business had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.35 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $9.28 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.65 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th were paid a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.76%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.64%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wolfe Research upgraded W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, September 22nd. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Monday, October 7th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Friday, September 6th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 target price for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,005.20.

Insider Activity

In other W.W. Grainger news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total transaction of $13,481,538.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 98,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other W.W. Grainger news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total transaction of $27,524,551.64. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares in the company, valued at $111,650,478.38. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total transaction of $13,481,538.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 98,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $102,281,004.56. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

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.