Horizon Investments LLC Raises Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Horizon Investments LLC raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 3.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,809 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Horizon Investments LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,903,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in GWW. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 43.5% during 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 purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in 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 valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at about $43,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.3 %

NYSE GWW opened at $974.12 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.97 billion, a PE ratio of 25.16, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $874.98 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66. The business’s 50-day moving average is $1,043.54 and its 200 day moving average is $1,076.79.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its earnings results 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 prior year, the firm earned $8.33 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.84%. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is 21.18%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on 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. StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. William Blair upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on 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. 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 assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price 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.