Terra Nova Asset Management LLC Makes New $951,000 Investment in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Terra Nova Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor purchased 1,147 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $951,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 3,160 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,187,000 after purchasing an additional 205 shares during the period. Sigma Planning Corp lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 23.4% in the third quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 633 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $438,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 11.3% during the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 71,748 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $49,638,000 after purchasing an additional 7,273 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 12.1% in the 4th quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 82,038 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $67,984,000 after buying an additional 8,865 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BKM Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at $915,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW stock opened at $1,017.30 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 2.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The business has a 50 day moving average of $956.57 and a two-hundred day moving average of $833.08. The company has a market cap of $49.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.09, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.14. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $625.97 and a 52 week high of $1,034.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its earnings results on Friday, February 2nd. The industrial products company reported $8.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.05 by $0.28. The company had revenue of $4 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.04 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 56.54% and a net margin of 11.10%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $7.14 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 39.26 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 12th were paid a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 9th. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.73%. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is currently 20.55%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on GWW. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $740.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, March 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $800.00 to $925.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,075.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 5th. Stephens increased their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $775.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $809.00 to $907.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $913.89.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 3,813 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $968.88, for a total value of $3,694,339.44. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 4,909 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,756,231.92. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 3,122 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $950.22, for a total value of $2,966,586.84. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 4,909 shares in the company, valued at $4,664,629.98. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 3,813 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $968.88, for a total transaction of $3,694,339.44. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 4,909 shares in the company, valued at $4,756,231.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate 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.