W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Holdings Lessened by Marietta Investment Partners LLC

Marietta Investment Partners LLC decreased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 2.6% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 13,720 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 370 shares during the quarter. W.W. Grainger makes up approximately 3.2% of Marietta Investment Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest holding. Marietta Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $14,462,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 60,711 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $63,993,000 after purchasing an additional 712 shares during the last quarter. Mizuho Securities USA LLC grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 45.8% during the fourth quarter. Mizuho Securities USA LLC now owns 4,200 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $4,427,000 after buying an additional 1,319 shares during the last quarter. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $410,000. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 3.0% during the fourth quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 2,653 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,796,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE GWW opened at $971.57 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $1,038.34 and a 200-day moving average of $1,075.33. 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, Inc. has a 52-week low of $874.98 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.85 billion, a PE ratio of 25.10, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly 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 return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $8.33 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.84%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on GWW shares. StockNews.com lowered W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 3rd. William Blair upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target 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.