Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Purchases 5,443 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 7.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 77,203 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 5,443 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $81,371,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in GWW. Busey Bank boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Busey Bank now owns 615 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $648,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 438 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $462,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 43.5% in the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 33 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Welch & Forbes LLC raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Welch & Forbes LLC now owns 481 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $507,000 after buying an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Finally, United Community Bank lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 6.9% during the 4th quarter. United Community Bank now owns 155 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $163,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $987.04 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,030.14 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,076.42. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $874.98 and a fifty-two week high of $1,227.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The firm has a market cap of $47.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.50, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.71 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 firm earned $8.33 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.83%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

GWW has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com cut W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. William Blair upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective 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 note on Monday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price 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.