Fruth Investment Management Has $19.41 Million Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Fruth Investment Management trimmed its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 0.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 18,412 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 82 shares during the quarter. W.W. Grainger comprises 5.3% of Fruth Investment Management’s holdings, making the stock its biggest position. Fruth Investment Management’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $19,407,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in GWW. Czech National Bank boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 9,051 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $9,402,000 after acquiring an additional 718 shares in the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 1,184 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,230,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 22.0% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 594 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $617,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the period. Bath Savings Trust Co lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. Bath Savings Trust Co now owns 442 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $459,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Callan Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 3rd quarter worth about $288,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GWW has been the subject of several research reports. Oppenheimer cut shares of W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Northcoast Research started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Loop Capital upped their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Baird R W raised W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,148.56.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total value of $150,753.75. Following 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 9.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.0 %

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $1,042.41 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $50.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.17. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $1,108.46 and its 200-day moving average is $1,067.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.49. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $874.98 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $8.33 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 41.91 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm 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. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is 21.18%.

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.