W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Acquired by Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc.

Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 100.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,172 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,088 shares during the quarter. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $4,399,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Swedbank AB raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 23.5% in the third quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 193,888 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $201,413,000 after acquiring an additional 36,892 shares in the last quarter. Graypoint LLC grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 11.7% during the 3rd quarter. Graypoint LLC now owns 409 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $424,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 4.8% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 58,961 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $61,249,000 after purchasing an additional 2,725 shares in the last quarter. LS Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.6% during the third quarter. LS Investment Advisors LLC now owns 13,428 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $13,949,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Summit Global Investments acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the third quarter worth about $240,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW opened at $1,007.06 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $48.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.17. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $1,055.60 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1,074.87. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $874.98 and a fifty-two week high of $1,227.66. 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 (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 prior year, the company earned $8.33 EPS. Equities analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.81%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on GWW. UBS Group assumed 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. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,151.50.

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.