W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Stock Holdings Lessened by Israel Discount Bank of New York

Israel Discount Bank of New York trimmed its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 3.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 602 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 20 shares during the quarter. Israel Discount Bank of New York’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $499,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Gitterman Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $326,000. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 17.7% during the fourth quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 2,187 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,812,000 after purchasing an additional 329 shares during the last quarter. Callan Capital LLC grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 4.6% during the fourth quarter. Callan Capital LLC now owns 767 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $636,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Syon Capital LLC grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 35.3% during the fourth quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 541 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $448,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 36.5% during the fourth quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,306 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,082,000 after purchasing an additional 349 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW traded down $0.68 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $928.58. 197,345 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 235,114. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $979.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $876.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 2.19. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $641.95 and a 12 month high of $1,034.18. The firm has a market cap of $45.57 billion, a PE ratio of 25.58, a PEG ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 1.14.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The industrial products company reported $9.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.57 by $0.05. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 54.31% and a net margin of 10.94%. The business had revenue of $4.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.26 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $9.61 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 39.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, June 1st. Investors of record on Monday, May 13th will be given a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.88%. This is a positive change from W.W. Grainger’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.54%.

Insider Buying and Selling

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. In other news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 3,813 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $968.88, for a total transaction of $3,694,339.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 4,909 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,756,231.92. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 3,122 shares of the business’s 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 transaction, the vice president now owns 4,909 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,664,629.98. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday. 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 research note on Monday, February 5th. Stephens upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $1,000.00 to $1,250.00 in a research note on Monday. UBS Group raised their target price on W.W. Grainger from $740.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 14th. Finally, Loop Capital reduced their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $975.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $938.89.

W.W. Grainger 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.