Castellan Group Decreases Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Castellan Group trimmed its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 20.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,122 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 542 shares during the period. Castellan Group’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,237,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 250.0% during the third quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth approximately $47,000. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $1,027.47 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $50.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.17. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $874.98 and a 1-year high of $1,227.66. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $1,092.48 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,070.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.75 by ($0.04). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 11.12% and a return on equity of 52.43%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $8.33 EPS. Research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on GWW shares. StockNews.com cut shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. UBS Group assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. Robert W. Baird raised W.W. Grainger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Loop Capital increased their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,148.56.

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.