JPMorgan Chase & Co. Has $787.13 Million Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

JPMorgan Chase & Co. lessened its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 34.2% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 746,767 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 388,425 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $787,132,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the third quarter valued at approximately $294,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the third quarter valued at $231,000. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the third quarter worth $381,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.3% in the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 26,877 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,920,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE GWW opened at $973.54 on Friday. 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 market cap of $46.94 billion, a PE ratio of 25.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $1,027.35 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1,076.43. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $874.98 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $8.33 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders 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 0.84%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is 21.18%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on GWW. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on 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. StockNews.com lowered W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. William Blair raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,151.50.

W.W. Grainger Company 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.