Advisors Asset Management Inc. Buys 1,303 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 26.4% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,239 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,303 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $6,481,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GWW. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 250.0% during the 3rd 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 during the last quarter. HWG Holdings LP purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Triad Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter worth about $42,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 38.9% in the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 537.5% in the 1st quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 51 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW opened at $1,178.45 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $57.39 billion, a PE ratio of 31.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.25 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. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $1,090.24 and a 200-day moving average price of $993.70. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $772.13 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its quarterly 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 business had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The business’s revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $9.43 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 11th will be given a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.70%. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is 22.23%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other W.W. Grainger news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total value of $10,705,553.68. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 4,379 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,895,021.36. The trade was a 68.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total value of $150,753.75. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 675 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $814,070.25. The trade was a 15.63 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 50,900 shares of company stock worth $52,640,733 in the last quarter. 9.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently weighed in on GWW. Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Wolfe Research raised W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, September 22nd. Oppenheimer lowered W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued 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 company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,109.00.

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.