W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Sold by Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Inc.

Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Inc. lowered its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 62.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 309 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 505 shares during the quarter. Sanibel Captiva Trust Company Inc.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $279,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Bfsg LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at $26,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 170.0% during the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 275.0% during the 4th quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 45 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 225.0% during the 1st quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 39 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 1.3 %

GWW stock traded up $12.67 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $975.07. 28,943 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 244,431. The company has a current ratio of 2.30, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $674.41 and a 12-month high of $1,034.18. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $937.75 and a 200-day moving average price of $951.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.17.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.58 by $0.18. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 53.25% and a net margin of 10.86%. The business had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.35 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $9.28 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 39.1 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 12th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.84%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.64%.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Matt Fortin sold 511 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.20, for a total transaction of $467,667.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly 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 is available through this link. Company insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Friday, June 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Robert W. Baird lowered W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $1,000.00 to $975.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. Baird R W lowered W.W. Grainger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,017.13.

W.W. Grainger Company 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.