389 Shares in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Purchased by Meridian Wealth Management LLC

Meridian Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 389 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $404,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA bought a new position in W.W. Grainger during the second quarter valued at $281,104,000. Swedbank AB bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter worth $159,365,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 92,754.3% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 87,283 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $906,700,000 after acquiring an additional 87,189 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 563.3% in the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 72,300 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $65,232,000 after acquiring an additional 61,400 shares during the period. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 67.9% during the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 143,193 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $129,175,000 after purchasing an additional 57,894 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total value of $13,481,538.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 98,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. This represents a 11.65 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction on Friday, November 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total transaction of $778,335.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 9,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,513,055.31. The trade was a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 50,900 shares of company stock worth $52,640,733. 9.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 1.0 %

GWW stock opened at $1,206.65 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $1,098.38 and its 200 day moving average is $997.62. The stock has a market cap of $58.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 1.15. 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 1-year low of $772.13 and a 1-year high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted 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 company had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.40 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $9.43 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 11th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is currently 22.23%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Wolfe Research raised shares of W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, September 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on 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. Bank of America initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Monday, October 7th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, UBS Group assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price for the company. One investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,109.00.

W.W. Grainger 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.