Intech Investment Management LLC Lowers Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Intech Investment Management LLC reduced its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 64.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,558 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 6,484 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $3,750,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in GWW. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth about $267,529,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth about $175,000. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 694.1% in the fourth quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd now owns 76,674 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $80,818,000 after buying an additional 67,018 shares in the last quarter. Amundi lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 14.7% in the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 459,536 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $491,170,000 after buying an additional 58,978 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Champlain Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the third quarter worth about $55,815,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $983.72 on Thursday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $874.98 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66. The stock has a market cap of $47.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. The business’s 50 day moving average is $1,041.86 and its 200 day moving average is $1,076.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 period in the prior year, the firm posted $8.33 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.83%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GWW has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. William Blair upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut 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 research note on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com cut W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,151.50.

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.