Quantbot Technologies LP Acquires New Shares in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 389 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $410,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Virtu Financial LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 2,653 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,796,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the period. ZEGA Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $861,000. Bancreek Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,687,000. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 5.1% during the fourth quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. now owns 29,011 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $30,579,000 after buying an additional 1,417 shares during the period. Finally, Algebris UK Ltd acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,158,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 1.4 %

GWW stock opened at $973.54 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The firm has a market cap of $46.94 billion, a PE ratio of 25.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $874.98 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,027.35 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,076.43.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.75 by ($0.04). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $8.33 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.84%. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is presently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. William Blair raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,151.50.

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.