W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Acquired by Metis Global Partners LLC

Metis Global Partners LLC lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 14.5% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,535 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 321 shares during the quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,633,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Clearbridge Investments LLC boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 17.4% during the first quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 1,148,051 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,167,913,000 after purchasing an additional 169,897 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 5.2% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 360,026 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $324,841,000 after purchasing an additional 17,699 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the second quarter valued at $281,104,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 0.8% during the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 243,470 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $219,386,000 after purchasing an additional 1,849 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Swedbank AB boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 23.5% during the third quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 193,888 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $201,413,000 after purchasing an additional 36,892 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In other W.W. Grainger news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total value of $27,524,551.64. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 111,559 shares in the company, valued at $111,650,478.38. This trade represents a 19.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction on Friday, November 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total transaction of $778,335.36. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 9,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,513,055.31. This trade represents a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 50,900 shares of company stock valued at $52,640,733. 9.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.2 %

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,178.33 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $1,078.55 and a 200-day moving average of $988.02. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $772.13 and a one year high of $1,227.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 2.59 and a quick ratio of 1.68. The company has a market cap of $57.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.94, a P/E/G ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 1.15.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.98 by ($0.11). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 51.78% and a net margin of 10.80%. The business had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.40 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $9.43 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.70%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.23%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on GWW shares. 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 research report on Friday, August 2nd. StockNews.com upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Baird R W upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Northcoast Research assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, Wolfe Research raised W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, September 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,086.50.

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.