Everpar Advisors LLC Trims Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Everpar Advisors LLC lessened its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 1.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,300 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 15 shares during the quarter. W.W. Grainger accounts for 0.7% of Everpar Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest position. Everpar Advisors LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,370,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Ullmann Wealth Partners Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter worth $200,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 160.8% during the 4th quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 1,309 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,380,000 after buying an additional 807 shares during the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 45.1% in the 4th quarter. USA Financial Formulas now owns 399 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $421,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. CHURCHILL MANAGEMENT Corp boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. CHURCHILL MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 13,097 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $13,805,000 after buying an additional 212 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brendel Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 496.6% during the fourth quarter. Brendel Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,007 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,170,000 after acquiring an additional 2,503 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,109.85 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 2.59 and a quick ratio of 1.68. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,135.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,049.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $54.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.09, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $836.84 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.98 by ($0.11). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The firm had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $9.43 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 11th were paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.74%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.23%.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In other news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total value of $10,705,553.68. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 4,379 shares in the company, valued at $4,895,021.36. This represents a 68.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total value of $150,753.75. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 675 shares in the company, valued at $814,070.25. This trade represents a 15.63 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 10,406 shares of company stock worth $11,634,643. Insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on GWW shares. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price target on the stock. Northcoast Research began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,140.56.

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.