abrdn plc Cuts Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

abrdn plc decreased its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 4.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 163,980 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 7,596 shares during the period. abrdn plc owned approximately 0.34% of W.W. Grainger worth $173,397,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of GWW. Czech National Bank boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 8.6% in the third quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 9,051 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $9,402,000 after purchasing an additional 718 shares during the period. Park Avenue Securities LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.0% in the third quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 1,184 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,230,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 22.0% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 594 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $617,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 23.0% in the 3rd quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 3,224 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,349,000 after purchasing an additional 603 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fragasso Financial Advisors Inc increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 1.5% in the third quarter. Fragasso Financial Advisors Inc now owns 4,488 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $4,662,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW opened at $1,047.05 on Tuesday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $874.98 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $1,115.20 and its 200-day moving average is $1,066.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.05, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.75 by ($0.04). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $8.33 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 41.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.78%. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is 21.18%.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total transaction of $150,753.75. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 675 shares in the company, valued at approximately $814,070.25. This represents a 15.63 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 9.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on GWW. UBS Group began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price on the stock. Robert W. Baird raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Bank of America started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Monday, October 7th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,148.56.

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.