W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW Stake Lessened by BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S

BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S decreased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 16.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 23,674 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 4,584 shares during the period. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $24,627,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fiduciary Alliance LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at $274,000. Pure Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the second quarter worth about $287,000. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 128.8% in the second quarter. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG now owns 2,128 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,214,000 after acquiring an additional 1,198 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 7.5% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 15,989 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $15,795,000 after acquiring an additional 1,120 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 7.8% during the 2nd quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 19,712 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $20,455,000 after purchasing an additional 1,428 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,023.80 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.72, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $893.99 and a 1 year high of $1,150.01. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $957.53 and a 200 day moving average price of $997.51. The company has a market cap of $48.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.11.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $10.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.95 by $0.26. The business had revenue of $4.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.64 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 9.75% and a return on equity of 49.40%. The firm’s revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $9.87 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 39.000-39.750 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 10th were issued a dividend of $2.26 per share. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 10th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is currently 25.35%.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In related news, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 14,523 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $972.81, for a total transaction of $14,128,119.63. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 107,862 shares in the company, valued at approximately $104,929,232.22. This trade represents a 11.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 6.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GWW has been the subject of several recent research reports. Barclays increased their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $963.00 to $975.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,006.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,150.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $975.00 price target for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,035.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $1,009.43.

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.