W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) VP Sells $150,753.75 in Stock

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total value of $150,753.75. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 675 shares in the company, valued at $814,070.25. The trade was a 15.63 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $1,178.33 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,078.55 and a 200 day simple moving average of $988.96. The company has a market cap of $57.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.94, a PEG ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.15. 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.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.98 by ($0.11). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The firm had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.40 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $9.43 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the second quarter worth approximately $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price objective for the company. Northcoast Research initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Robert W. Baird upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on 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. Finally, Wolfe Research raised W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, September 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,086.50.

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.