W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Short Interest Down 14.1% in February

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) saw a large decrease in short interest in the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,160,000 shares, a decrease of 14.1% from the January 31st total of 1,350,000 shares. Approximately 2.6% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 270,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.3 days.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

GWW opened at $988.67 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.67 billion, a PE ratio of 25.54, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.17. 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 has a twelve month low of $874.98 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $1,059.45 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,076.06.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share 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 period last year, the firm earned $8.33 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that W.W. Grainger will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.18%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth about $535,910,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $267,529,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $175,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 28.9% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 514,326 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $542,126,000 after acquiring an additional 115,290 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 14.2% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 681,912 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $718,769,000 after acquiring an additional 84,595 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on GWW shares. UBS Group began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective 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 report on Monday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently 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.