Russell Investments Group Ltd. Sells 2,610 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. trimmed its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 5.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 44,441 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 2,610 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned approximately 0.09% of W.W. Grainger worth $46,922,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Oarsman Capital Inc. grew its stake in W.W. Grainger by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Oarsman Capital Inc. now owns 1,957 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,063,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $18,227,000. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at about $11,268,000. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $204,000. Finally, World Investment Advisors boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 38.1% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 1,476 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,556,000 after purchasing an additional 407 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

NYSE:GWW opened at $942.43 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $1,013.43 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,076.89. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $874.98 and a 1-year high of $1,227.66. The firm has a market cap of $45.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.20. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $8.33 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,164 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $997.12, for a total value of $1,160,647.68. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 10,235 shares in the company, valued at $10,205,523.20. This trade represents a 10.21 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 6.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on GWW shares. William Blair upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Wolfe Research lowered W.W. Grainger from a “peer perform” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $966.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Thursday. StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,130.89.

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.