190 Shares in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Purchased by Godshalk Welsh Capital Management Inc.

Godshalk Welsh Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 190 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $200,000.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of GWW. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 3rd quarter valued at $848,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 313.3% during the fourth quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH now owns 1,521 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,603,000 after acquiring an additional 1,153 shares during the period. Clark & Stuart Inc acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at $1,741,000. Toronto Dominion Bank grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 72.6% in the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 22,045 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $22,901,000 after purchasing an additional 9,270 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bancreek Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth about $3,687,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.3 %

Shares of GWW opened at $987.55 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $1,032.60 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,077.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.62 billion, a PE ratio of 25.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $874.98 and a 12-month 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 earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share (EPS) 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 quarter last year, the company earned $8.33 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GWW has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. William Blair upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target 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. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. 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 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.