W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) Reaches New 12-Month High Following Dividend Announcement

Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) hit a new 52-week high on Thursday following a dividend announcement from the company. The stock traded as high as $1,130.01 and last traded at $1,113.70, with a volume of 61891 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,099.34.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 11th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.74%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.50%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on GWW. Loop Capital lifted their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday. Robert W. Baird raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Wolfe Research raised shares of W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, September 22nd. Finally, Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,058.50.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $53.96 billion, a PE ratio of 30.32, a P/E/G ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a current ratio of 2.30, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $1,035.68 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $971.79.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.98 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 53.25% and a net margin of 10.86%. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $9.43 EPS. W.W. Grainger’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other W.W. Grainger news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total value of $27,524,551.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $111,650,478.38. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other W.W. Grainger news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total transaction of $27,524,551.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,559 shares in the company, valued at approximately $111,650,478.38. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total transaction 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. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. HWG Holdings LP purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in 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. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 225.0% during the 1st quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 39 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the second quarter worth approximately $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

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.