Mizuho Markets Americas LLC Sells 353 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Mizuho Markets Americas LLC lowered its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 6,147 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 353 shares during the quarter. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $6,386,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the second quarter worth $281,104,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 17.4% in the 1st quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 1,148,051 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,167,913,000 after buying an additional 169,897 shares during the last quarter. Swedbank AB purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the first quarter valued at about $159,365,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 92,754.3% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 87,283 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $906,700,000 after buying an additional 87,189 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 563.3% during the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 72,300 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $65,232,000 after purchasing an additional 61,400 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.2 %

NYSE:GWW opened at $1,178.33 on Friday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $772.13 and a one year high of $1,227.66. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $1,078.55 and a 200-day moving average price of $988.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 2.59 and a quick ratio of 1.68.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.98 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 51.78% and a net margin of 10.80%. The company’s revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $9.43 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.91 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th will be issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.70%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.23%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on GWW. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. StockNews.com raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price target for the company from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. 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 issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,086.50.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 directly owns 98,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. This trade represents a 11.65 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total transaction of $778,335.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 9,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,513,055.31. The trade was a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 50,900 shares of company stock worth $52,640,733 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 9.50% 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.