Banco Santander S.A. Sells 3,199 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Banco Santander S.A. decreased its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 27.2% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 8,557 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 3,199 shares during the quarter. Banco Santander S.A.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $9,020,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth $47,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 3rd quarter valued at $75,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 1.1 %

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,007.06 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $1,054.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,076.00. The company has a current ratio of 2.49, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $874.98 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The company has a market cap of $48.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.02, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its 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 return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $8.33 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.81%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com cut W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. UBS Group began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,151.50.

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.