Montecito Bank & Trust Trims Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Montecito Bank & Trust cut its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWWFree Report) by 3.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,653 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 58 shares during the period. Montecito Bank & Trust’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,742,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of GWW. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the second quarter valued at $410,000. Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 6.0% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 22,699 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $20,479,000 after buying an additional 1,281 shares during the last quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 7,800.0% during the second quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC now owns 237 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $214,000 after buying an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 58.8% during the second quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 8,476 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $7,647,000 after acquiring an additional 3,139 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sfmg LLC raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 14.4% in the 2nd quarter. Sfmg LLC now owns 230 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $208,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.2 %

NYSE GWW opened at $1,120.63 on Friday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $868.53 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66. The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market cap of $54.57 billion, a PE ratio of 30.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 1.18. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $1,126.79 and its 200 day moving average is $1,056.43.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWWGet Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 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 analysts’ expectations of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 51.78% and a net margin of 10.80%. W.W. Grainger’s quarterly revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $9.43 EPS. Research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 11th were paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.73%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is presently 22.23%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on GWW. Robert W. Baird raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the company from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Loop Capital raised their target price on W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Bank of America started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Monday, October 7th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 price target for the company. Finally, Baird R W raised W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. 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, W.W. Grainger has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,140.56.

Get Our Latest Analysis on W.W. Grainger

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 675 shares in the company, valued at approximately $814,070.25. This trade represents a 15.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total value of $10,705,553.68. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 4,379 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,895,021.36. This trade represents a 68.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 10,406 shares of company stock valued at $11,634,643. 9.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About W.W. Grainger

(Free Report)

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.

Further Reading

Institutional Ownership by Quarter for W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW)

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