Los Angeles Capital Management LLC Sells 85,426 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

by · The Markets Daily

Los Angeles Capital Management LLC cut its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW – Free Report) by 37.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 142,714 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 85,426 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC owned about 0.29% of W.W. Grainger worth $148,253,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at $281,104,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 17.4% in the first quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 1,148,051 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,167,913,000 after acquiring an additional 169,897 shares during the period. Swedbank AB bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at $159,365,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 92,754.3% in the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 87,283 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $906,700,000 after acquiring an additional 87,189 shares during the period. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 563.3% in the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 72,300 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $65,232,000 after acquiring an additional 61,400 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 1.3 %

Shares of GWW traded up $15.42 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $1,202.35. 287,239 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 234,711. The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $772.13 and a 1-year high of $1,210.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.55 billion, a PE ratio of 32.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 1.15. The business has a fifty day moving average of $1,054.52 and a 200-day moving average of $979.43.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.98 by ($0.11). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The company had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.40 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $9.43 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.91 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th will be paid a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.68%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is 22.23%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on GWW shares. Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Oppenheimer cut W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. StockNews.com upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Bank of America began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Monday, October 7th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, September 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,058.50.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on GWW

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In other news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total transaction of $10,705,553.68. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 4,379 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,895,021.36. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total transaction of $13,481,538.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 98,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the vice president now owns 4,379 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,895,021.36. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 50,775 shares of company stock valued at $52,489,979. 9.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

W.W. Grainger Profile

(Free Report)

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.

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