Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS Sells 97 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS decreased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 4.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,914 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 97 shares during the period. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,017,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 29.2% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,833 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,932,000 after buying an additional 414 shares during the period. Citizens & Northern Corp boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Citizens & Northern Corp now owns 1,649 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,738,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 4.4% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 6,908 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $7,281,000 after buying an additional 291 shares during the period. Sanctuary Advisors LLC lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 6,489 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $7,307,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 44.8% during the fourth quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC now owns 1,077 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,135,000 after purchasing an additional 333 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $1,021.00 on Thursday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $874.98 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66. The company has a market cap of $49.72 billion, a PE ratio of 26.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $1,078.03 and its 200 day moving average is $1,072.33.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates 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 period in the previous year, the company posted $8.33 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.80%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have issued reports on GWW. Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped 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 research note on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com lowered W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, UBS Group began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price target for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,148.56.

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.