W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Short Interest Up 5.1% in July

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) saw a significant growth in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,440,000 shares, a growth of 5.1% from the June 30th total of 1,370,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 261,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 5.5 days. Approximately 3.2% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on GWW. Stephens upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $1,000.00 to $1,250.00 in a research note on Monday, April 29th. Loop Capital reduced their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $975.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 29th. Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Friday, June 14th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, Robert W. Baird downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $1,000.00 to $975.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $997.75.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

GWW traded down $34.45 during trading on Thursday, hitting $942.36. The stock had a trading volume of 565,937 shares, compared to its average volume of 246,279. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 2.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.65, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.17. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $925.37 and its 200 day moving average price is $943.82. W.W. Grainger has a twelve month low of $674.41 and a twelve month high of $1,034.18.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be paid a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 12th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.87%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.64%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Matt Fortin sold 511 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.20, for a total value of $467,667.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,848 shares in the company, valued at $1,691,289.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 9.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Clearbridge Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 17.4% in the 1st quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 1,148,051 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,167,913,000 after buying an additional 169,897 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 689,090 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $571,042,000 after acquiring an additional 11,460 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at about $392,470,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 440,860 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $365,334,000 after acquiring an additional 10,940 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 265,103 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $219,688,000 after acquiring an additional 4,893 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.