J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG Sells 1,276 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG lessened its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 60.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 852 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,276 shares during the period. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $812,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Hilltop National Bank acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Quaker Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 196.0% during the 2nd quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 24 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Accredited Investors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Asset Dedication LLC increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 136.4% during the 2nd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 26 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 15 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,081.99 on Friday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $893.99 and a one year high of $1,130.61. The stock has a market cap of $51.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 1.12. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $1,014.04 and a 200-day moving average price of $992.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a current ratio of 2.72.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $10.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.95 by $0.26. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 9.75% and a return on equity of 49.40%. The company had revenue of $4.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $9.87 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th will be issued a $2.26 dividend. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 9th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is presently 25.35%.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 14,523 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $972.81, for a total transaction of $14,128,119.63. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 107,862 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $104,929,232.22. This represents a 11.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 195 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,023.93, for a total value of $199,666.35. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 3,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,249,953.82. This trade represents a 5.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 26,881 shares of company stock worth $26,157,155. Company insiders own 6.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GWW has been the topic of several analyst reports. Oppenheimer upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $1,250.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,150.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $975.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,045.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on W.W. Grainger from $963.00 to $975.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,045.75.

W.W. Grainger Profile

W.W. Grainger, Inc (NYSE: GWW) is an industrial supply distributor founded in 1927 and headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois. The company supplies maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products and services to businesses, institutions and government customers. Over its long history Grainger has developed a broad product assortment and a national distribution network that supports operations across a range of end markets, including manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, transportation and public sector organizations.

Grainger’s product portfolio spans core categories such as electrical and lighting, safety and personal protective equipment, material handling, motors and power transmission, plumbing and HVAC, fasteners and adhesives, hand and power tools, and janitorial and facility supplies.