Arkadios Wealth Advisors Reduces Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Arkadios Wealth Advisors lessened its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 50.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 286 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 291 shares during the period. Arkadios Wealth Advisors’ holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $282,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 100,843.0% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 692,469 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $684,042,000 after buying an additional 691,783 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 14.2% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 681,912 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $718,769,000 after acquiring an additional 84,595 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 6.9% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 584,854 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $616,465,000 after purchasing an additional 37,894 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 28.9% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 514,326 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $542,126,000 after purchasing an additional 115,290 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 409,289 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $431,428,000 after purchasing an additional 20,176 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 27th. Loop Capital cut their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,080.38.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,075.20, for a total transaction of $301,056.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 3,369 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,622,348.80. This trade represents a 7.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 6.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW stock opened at $959.76 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $1,043.28 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,031.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 2.82. The stock has a market cap of $45.91 billion, a PE ratio of 24.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $893.99 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $10.07 by ($0.10). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 49.63% and a net margin of 10.99%. The firm had revenue of $4.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.52 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $9.76 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side 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 will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 11th will be given a $2.26 dividend. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.94%.

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.