Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Acquires 53,729 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 1,653.7% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 56,978 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 53,729 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $60,058,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of GWW. HWG Holdings LP bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in 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 buying an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 38.9% during the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the third quarter worth $75,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.6 %

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,093.92 on Thursday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $833.50 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66. The company has a market cap of $53.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.65, a P/E/G ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,138.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,048.51.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 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 analysts’ expectations of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $9.43 earnings per share. Analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.94 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th were issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.75%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.23%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the vice president now owns 675 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $814,070.25. This represents a 15.63 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total value of $778,335.36. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 9,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,513,055.31. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 10,406 shares of company stock worth $11,634,643 over the last quarter. 9.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Bank of America began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Monday, October 7th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 price target for the company. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, September 22nd. UBS Group began coverage on shares of 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. Baird R W upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, StockNews.com cut W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. 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.com, W.W. Grainger presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,140.56.

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.