DnB Asset Management AS Has $12.31 Million Stock Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

DnB Asset Management AS lowered its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 4.6% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 11,676 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 560 shares during the quarter. DnB Asset Management AS’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $12,307,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $294,000. 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 valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the third quarter worth approximately $231,000. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 3rd quarter worth $381,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 26,877 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $27,920,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 1.4 %

Shares of GWW opened at $973.54 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $1,027.35 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,077.12. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $874.98 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.75 by ($0.04). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 11.12% and a return on equity of 52.43%. During the same period last year, the business earned $8.33 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.84%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on GWW shares. StockNews.com cut shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on 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. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price 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. Finally, William Blair raised W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,151.50.

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.