Clearbridge Investments LLC Has $982.84 Million Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Clearbridge Investments LLC cut its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 5.1% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,089,334 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 58,717 shares during the quarter. W.W. Grainger comprises 0.8% of Clearbridge Investments LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Clearbridge Investments LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $982,841,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 170.0% during the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 225.0% in the 1st quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 39 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 1st quarter valued at $41,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of GWW stock opened at $1,038.81 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 2.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $674.41 and a twelve month high of $1,049.02. The company has a market cap of $50.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.16. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $979.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $958.61.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.58 by $0.18. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 53.25% and a net margin of 10.86%. The business had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $9.28 EPS. W.W. Grainger’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.79%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.64%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on GWW. Wolfe Research raised W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, September 22nd. Morgan Stanley began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, September 6th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 price objective on the stock. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, June 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,014.11.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total transaction of $27,524,551.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares in the company, valued at approximately $111,650,478.38. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 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.