Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. Boosts Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 67.8% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 203 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $214,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the third quarter worth about $848,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 313.3% in the fourth quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH now owns 1,521 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,603,000 after buying an additional 1,153 shares during the period. Clark & Stuart Inc purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth about $1,741,000. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 27.0% in the third quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 2,226 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,312,000 after buying an additional 473 shares during the period. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 72.6% in the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 22,045 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $22,901,000 after buying an additional 9,270 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of GWW opened at $1,007.06 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $48.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $1,054.36 and a 200 day moving average of $1,076.00. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $874.98 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 prior year, the company posted $8.33 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on GWW shares. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,151.50.

About W.W. Grainger

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.