Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC Has $14.41 Million Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 4.8% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 15,973 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 730 shares during the quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $14,411,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Diversified Trust Co boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 280.4% during the second quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 2,621 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,365,000 after buying an additional 1,932 shares during the period. Wedmont Private Capital boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 5.2% during the second quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 626 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $575,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Brendel Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,875,000. Terra Nova Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 29.2% in the second quarter. Terra Nova Asset Management LLC now owns 1,696 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,531,000 after buying an additional 383 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.5% in the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,091 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $984,000 after buying an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In related news, SVP Matt Fortin sold 511 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $915.20, for a total transaction 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 $1,691,289.60. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 9.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW traded down $8.15 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $952.99. 76,552 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 245,140. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.30 and a quick ratio of 1.33. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $674.41 and a 1 year high of $1,034.18. The company has a market capitalization of $46.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.54, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.17. The company’s 50-day moving average is $930.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is $950.30.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 EPS 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 business had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.35 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $9.28 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 39.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be paid a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 12th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.86%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.64%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on GWW. Baird R W lowered W.W. Grainger from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Friday, June 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Loop Capital reduced their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $975.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 29th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,017.13.

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.