E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB Has $33.44 Million Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB lessened its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 31,728 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 830 shares during the period. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB owned 0.07% of W.W. Grainger worth $33,443,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Mather Group LLC. boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 24.6% during the 4th quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 334 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $352,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Longboard Asset Management LP acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $211,000. Patron Partners LLC boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Patron Partners LLC now owns 2,051 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,162,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. Columbus Macro LLC grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 484.2% during the fourth quarter. Columbus Macro LLC now owns 5,830 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $6,145,000 after purchasing an additional 4,832 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Resonant Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC now owns 238 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $251,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total transaction of $150,753.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 675 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $814,070.25. This trade represents a 15.63 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 9.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 1.5 %

Shares of GWW stock opened at $1,047.05 on Tuesday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $874.98 and a one year high of $1,227.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $1,115.20 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,066.53. The stock has a market cap of $50.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.17.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 EPS 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 prior year, the company earned $8.33 EPS. Analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 41.91 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.78%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently issued reports on GWW shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Bank of America began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Monday, October 7th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 target price for the company. Finally, Northcoast Research started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,148.56.

About W.W. Grainger

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.