Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund Cuts Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund reduced its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 19.6% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 10,231 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 2,500 shares during the quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $10,784,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of 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 worth $35,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the period. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $47,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 1.6 %

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,008.08 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $48.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.04, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.17. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $1,072.84 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,074.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.49. 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 posted its quarterly 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 quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $8.33 EPS. On average, 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 will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.81%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GWW has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of 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 lowered their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” 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 report on Thursday, December 19th. Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,148.56.

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.