United Super Pty Ltd in its capacity as Trustee for the Construction & Building Unions Superannuation Fund Invests $738,000 in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

United Super Pty Ltd in its capacity as Trustee for the Construction & Building Unions Superannuation Fund bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 700 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $738,000.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 2,233 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,320,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the third quarter valued at $294,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings 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 during the period. Centaurus Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 3rd quarter worth about $208,000. Finally, Summit Trail Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 33.0% in the 3rd quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 419 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $436,000 after buying an additional 104 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

GWW stock opened at $989.47 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $1,034.72 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,077.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.71 billion, a PE ratio of 25.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. 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 one year low of $874.98 and a one year high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 period in the previous year, the company earned $8.33 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.83%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is 21.18%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on GWW shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective 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. William Blair upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger presently has a consensus 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.