Paige K. Robbins Sells 9,577 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Stock

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total transaction of $10,705,553.68. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 4,379 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,895,021.36. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded down $5.55 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $1,189.42. The company had a trading volume of 264,067 shares, compared to its average volume of 235,202. The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $772.13 and a 12 month high of $1,199.00. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,045.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $975.98. The stock has a market cap of $57.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.40, a PEG ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 1.15.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.98 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 51.78% and a net margin of 10.80%. W.W. Grainger’s quarterly revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $9.43 EPS. On average, analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.87 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th will be paid a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is presently 22.23%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on GWW. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, September 6th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 target price on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Loop Capital lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, Baird R W raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,058.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. HWG Holdings LP bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in 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 worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 225.0% in the 1st quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 39 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 1st quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $42,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About W.W. Grainger

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.