Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. Grows Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 6.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 56,091 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,204 shares during the period. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.12% of W.W. Grainger worth $58,268,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the third quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted 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 worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 38.9% during the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on GWW. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Wolfe Research upgraded W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, September 22nd. StockNews.com upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Oppenheimer cut W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,109.00.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,161.79 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,135.11 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,016.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $56.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.49, a PEG ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $800.97 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.98 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The firm’s revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $9.43 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th were paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.71%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.23%.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In related news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total value of $778,335.36. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 9,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,513,055.31. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total value of $27,524,551.64. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $111,650,478.38. This trade represents a 19.78 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 50,900 shares of company stock worth $52,640,733 in the last three months. 9.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.