Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI Raises Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,210 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the period. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,994,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in GWW. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 119.5% during the 4th quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP now owns 2,364 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,959,000 after acquiring an additional 1,287 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 36.6% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 9,506 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $9,664,000 after purchasing an additional 2,548 shares during the period. UBS Group AG grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 6.0% in the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 108,933 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $90,272,000 after buying an additional 6,197 shares during the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1,201.6% during the 2nd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 833 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $748,000 after purchasing an additional 769 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 11.2% in the 1st quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 59,822 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $60,857,000 after acquiring an additional 6,042 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 1.4 %

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,008.21 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $961.14 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $954.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $49.47 billion, a PE ratio of 27.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.16. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $674.41 and a 52-week high of $1,034.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 2.30.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.58 by $0.18. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.86% and a return on equity of 53.25%. The company had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.35 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $9.28 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th were issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is currently 22.64%.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In other W.W. Grainger news, SVP Matt Fortin sold 511 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.20, for a total value of $467,667.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,848 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,691,289.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 9.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on GWW shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Friday, June 14th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Friday, September 6th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,014.11.

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.