Founders Financial Securities LLC Raises Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Founders Financial Securities LLC raised its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 11.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,170 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,190,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Clearbridge Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 978,154 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $810,586,000 after buying an additional 12,445 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 689,090 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $571,042,000 after buying an additional 11,460 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 8.3% during the 3rd quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 625,013 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $432,411,000 after buying an additional 47,731 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $392,470,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 440,860 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $365,334,000 after buying an additional 10,940 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

W.W. Grainger stock traded down $1.50 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $902.24. 422,671 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 254,463. The stock has a market cap of $44.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 2.19. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $674.41 and a 52-week high of $1,034.18. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $928.40 and its 200 day moving average is $925.64.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 25th. The industrial products company reported $9.62 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.57 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $4.24 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.26 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.94% and a return on equity of 54.31%. W.W. Grainger’s quarterly revenue was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $9.61 EPS. Analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 39.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 13th were issued a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.91%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 10th. This is an increase from W.W. Grainger’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.64%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GWW has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Loop Capital reduced their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $975.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 29th. Oppenheimer increased their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,075.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 5th. Robert W. Baird cut shares of W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $1,000.00 to $975.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $740.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 14th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $959.44.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Matt Fortin sold 511 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.20, for a total value of $467,667.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,848 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,691,289.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

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.