Tower Research Capital LLC TRC Cuts Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Tower Research Capital LLC TRC decreased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 22.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,676 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 770 shares during the quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,821,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of GWW. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 43.5% during the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth $43,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In related news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,164 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owns 10,235 shares in the company, valued at $10,205,523.20. This trade represents a 10.21 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 6.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

GWW stock opened at $979.84 on Tuesday. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $47.24 billion, a PE ratio of 25.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.20. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $987.87 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,070.61. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $874.98 and a one year high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly 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 quarter in the prior year, the business posted $8.33 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast 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. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.84%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Wolfe Research lowered W.W. Grainger from a “peer perform” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $966.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. William Blair upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced 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, Royal Bank of Canada lowered 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 research note on Monday, February 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,130.89.

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.