Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC Decreases Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 21.9% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 986 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 277 shares during the period. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,039,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $848,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 313.3% during 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 acquiring an additional 1,153 shares in the last quarter. Clark & Stuart Inc purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,741,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 27.0% during the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 2,226 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,312,000 after purchasing an additional 473 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 72.6% during the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 22,045 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $22,901,000 after purchasing an additional 9,270 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on GWW. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $990.00 to $1,215.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com downgraded W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on 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. Finally, UBS Group began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,148.56.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

GWW stock opened at $1,007.59 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $1,065.99 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,073.98. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $874.98 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66. The firm has a market cap of $48.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.03, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.17.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly 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 in the previous year, the business posted $8.33 EPS. Analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a dividend of $2.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.81%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.18%.

W.W. Grainger 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.