Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Has $46.40 Million Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 2.5% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 44,022 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,070 shares during the quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $46,401,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at about $535,910,000. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 19.0% during the 4th quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd now owns 3,510 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,700,000 after purchasing an additional 561 shares during the last quarter. Godshalk Welsh Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $200,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 7.6% in the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 77,203 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $81,371,000 after buying an additional 5,443 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Korea Investment CORP boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 63.0% in the 4th quarter. Korea Investment CORP now owns 35,542 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $37,463,000 after buying an additional 13,739 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

NYSE:GWW opened at $973.54 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,027.35 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,077.75. The stock has a market cap of $46.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.15, 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 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 (NYSE:GWW) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share 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 period last year, the company posted $8.33 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.84%. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is presently 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on GWW shares. 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped 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. William Blair upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently 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.