Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. Sells 759 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lessened its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 22.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 2,649 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 759 shares during the quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,792,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 3rd quarter worth $848,000. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH grew its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 313.3% during the fourth quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH now owns 1,521 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,603,000 after purchasing an additional 1,153 shares during the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 72.6% in the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 22,045 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $22,901,000 after buying an additional 9,270 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in 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 worth $2,312,000 after buying an additional 473 shares during the period. Finally, Clark & Stuart Inc bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,741,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Loop Capital lifted their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. Northcoast Research began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Baird R W raised W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Bank of America initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Monday, October 7th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,140.56.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.1 %

NYSE:GWW opened at $1,122.98 on Thursday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $866.03 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66. The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $54.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.44, a PEG ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.18. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,127.89 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,055.98.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.98 by ($0.11). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The firm had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.40 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $9.43 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 11th were issued a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.73%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.23%.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In other W.W. Grainger news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total value of $10,705,553.68. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 4,379 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,895,021.36. This trade represents a 68.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total transaction of $778,335.36. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 9,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,513,055.31. The trade was a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 10,406 shares of company stock valued at $11,634,643. 9.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.