Kathmere Capital Management LLC Boosts Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Kathmere Capital Management LLC raised its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 12.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 574 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $605,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. HWG Holdings LP purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% during 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 lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 38.9% during the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the third quarter valued at approximately $75,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,093.92 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,138.78 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,048.51. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $833.50 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 $53.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.65, a PEG ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 1.18.

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). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 51.78% and a net margin of 10.80%. The firm had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.40 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $9.43 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th were paid a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.75%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.23%.

Insider Activity

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Oppenheimer lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Wolfe Research raised W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, September 22nd. Loop Capital upped their price target 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. StockNews.com cut W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, Baird R W upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,140.56.

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.