Clearbridge Investments LLC Sells 45,565 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Clearbridge Investments LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 4.5% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 961,315 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 45,565 shares during the quarter. W.W. Grainger accounts for approximately 0.8% of Clearbridge Investments LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position. Clearbridge Investments LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,013,274,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of GWW. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in the fourth quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its stake 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 buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered 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. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective 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. Finally, William Blair raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,151.50.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $973.54 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.94 billion, a PE ratio of 25.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $1,027.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,077.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. 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 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 quarter in the prior year, the company posted $8.33 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given 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 dividend yield of 0.84%. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is 21.18%.

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.