W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Sold by Prio Wealth Limited Partnership

Prio Wealth Limited Partnership reduced its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 0.2% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 16,097 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 35 shares during the period. Prio Wealth Limited Partnership’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $14,523,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total value of $13,481,538.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 98,567 shares in the company, valued at $102,281,004.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated 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 in the company, valued at approximately $111,650,478.38. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total value of $13,481,538.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 98,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 9.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW opened at $1,040.46 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.30 and a quick ratio of 1.40. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $981.47 and its 200-day simple moving average is $958.94. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $674.41 and a 12 month high of $1,049.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $51.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.73, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.16.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.58 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.35 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.86% and a return on equity of 53.25%. The firm’s revenue was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $9.28 earnings per share. Analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.75 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on GWW. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Wolfe Research upgraded W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, September 22nd. Erste Group Bank restated a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Friday, June 14th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, September 6th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 target price for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of 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 issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,014.11.

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.