West Coast Financial LLC Reduces Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

West Coast Financial LLC decreased its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 0.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 14,338 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 30 shares during the period. W.W. Grainger comprises approximately 1.6% of West Coast Financial LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. West Coast Financial LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $14,894,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 170.0% during the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at $26,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 225.0% in the 1st 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 1st quarter valued at about $41,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total value of $13,481,538.56. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 98,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total value of $27,524,551.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares in the company, valued at approximately $111,650,478.38. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total transaction of $13,481,538.56. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 98,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $102,281,004.56. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 9.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

W.W. Grainger stock traded up $55.11 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $1,080.27. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 163,859 shares, compared to its average volume of 234,435. The firm has a market cap of $52.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.64, a PEG ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 1.16. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $991.41 and a 200-day moving average price of $960.47. The company has a current ratio of 2.30, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $674.41 and a twelve month high of $1,084.24.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.58 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.35 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.86% and a return on equity of 53.25%. The firm’s revenue was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $9.28 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th were given a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.50%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on GWW. Bank of America started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Monday. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Friday, June 14th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, September 6th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 price target for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,005.20.

W.W. Grainger 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.