Korea Investment CORP Boosts Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Korea Investment CORP boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 63.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 35,542 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 13,739 shares during the period. Korea Investment CORP’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $37,463,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 4.4% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 2,233 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,320,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the period. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $294,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Centaurus Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the third quarter worth $208,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the third quarter valued at $231,000. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.1 %

NYSE:GWW opened at $987.04 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,030.14 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,076.42. The company has a current ratio of 2.49, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The company has a market cap of $47.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $874.98 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its earnings results 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 quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $8.33 EPS. Analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GWW has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada decreased 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 note 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on 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, William Blair raised W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. One investment 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. According to data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger currently has an average 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.