State of Alaska Department of Revenue Reduces Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

State of Alaska Department of Revenue lessened its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 20.5% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 5,053 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 1,302 shares during the quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $5,326,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its stake in W.W. Grainger by 250.0% during the third quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 38.9% in the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the period. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the third quarter worth $75,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,035.98 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,101.83 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,067.47. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $874.98 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66. The company has a market capitalization of $50.45 billion, a PE ratio of 26.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.17.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.75 by ($0.04). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 11.12% and a return on equity of 52.43%. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $8.33 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 41.91 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.79%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is 21.18%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on GWW shares. Northcoast Research started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Loop Capital lifted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,148.56.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other W.W. Grainger news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total value of $150,753.75. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 675 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $814,070.25. This trade represents a 15.63 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 9.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.