QRG Capital Management Inc. Buys 119 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 4.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,700 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,846,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 43.5% during the fourth quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in 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. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth $47,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 3rd quarter worth $75,000. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW stock opened at $1,021.00 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.49, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The company has a market cap of $49.23 billion, a PE ratio of 26.38, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.17. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $874.98 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $1,063.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,074.76.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 last year, the business earned $8.33 EPS. Analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.80%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.18%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GWW has been the subject of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on 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. Morgan Stanley boosted 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. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com lowered W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,148.56.

About W.W. Grainger

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.