Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC Raises Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 4.1% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 4,360 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 173 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $4,596,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 43.5% during the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted 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 acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at about $47,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 3rd quarter valued at about $75,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW stock opened at $995.60 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $1,057.34 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,075.43. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $874.98 and a 52 week high of $1,227.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $48.00 billion, a PE ratio of 25.72, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.17. 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 (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 business earned $8.33 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.82%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.18%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on GWW. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com cut shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price for the company. One equities research 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,151.50.

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.