Farringdon Capital Ltd. Takes Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Farringdon Capital Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund acquired 238 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $251,000.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the third quarter worth approximately $848,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 313.3% in the 4th quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH now owns 1,521 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,603,000 after buying an additional 1,153 shares during the period. Clark & Stuart Inc acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at $1,741,000. Bancreek Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at about $3,687,000. Finally, Czech National Bank increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 9,609 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $10,128,000 after acquiring an additional 558 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 1.7 %

Shares of NYSE GWW opened at $1,002.12 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.49. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $874.98 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $988.83 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,070.69. The firm has a market cap of $48.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.89, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.20.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 earnings per share (EPS) 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 in the previous year, the company earned $8.33 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.82%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In other news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,164 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $997.12, for a total value of $1,160,647.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 10,235 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,205,523.20. This trade represents a 10.21 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 6.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on GWW shares. William Blair raised W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,113.00 to $1,112.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Wolfe Research cut shares of W.W. Grainger from a “peer perform” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $966.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,130.89.

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.