Insight Wealth Strategies LLC Increases Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Insight Wealth Strategies LLC lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 3.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,328 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. Insight Wealth Strategies LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $4,562,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 250.0% during the third quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. HWG Holdings LP purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 38.9% in the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $75,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

NYSE GWW traded down $2.37 on Monday, reaching $1,051.62. 108,464 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 144,753. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $1,144.15 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,040.78. The firm has a market cap of $51.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.51, a P/E/G ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a current ratio of 2.59. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $806.08 and a fifty-two week high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.98 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $9.43 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 11th were issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.78%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.23%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on GWW shares. Northcoast Research started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Oppenheimer lowered W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Robert W. Baird raised W.W. Grainger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Bank of America started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Monday, October 7th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wolfe Research raised shares of W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, September 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,140.56.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In related news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total value of $778,335.36. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 9,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,513,055.31. This trade represents a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total value of $150,753.75. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 675 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $814,070.25. This trade represents a 15.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 10,406 shares of company stock worth $11,634,643 in the last three months. Company insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

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.