W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the eleven research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $959.44.

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on GWW. StockNews.com downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. Loop Capital cut their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $975.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 29th. Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Friday, June 14th. Baird R W downgraded W.W. Grainger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $1,000.00 to $975.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Matt Fortin sold 511 shares of the company’s 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 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 document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 9.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of GWW. Bfsg LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 170.0% in the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 225.0% during the first quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 39 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

GWW opened at $954.15 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $46.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.17. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $924.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $939.18. W.W. Grainger has a 1 year low of $674.41 and a 1 year high of $1,034.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 2.19 and a quick ratio of 1.33.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 25th. The industrial products company reported $9.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.57 by $0.05. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 54.31% and a net margin of 10.94%. The business had revenue of $4.24 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.26 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $9.61 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger’s quarterly revenue was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that W.W. Grainger will post 39.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.