W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Sold by Isthmus Partners LLC

Isthmus Partners LLC cut its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 15,504 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 286 shares during the period. W.W. Grainger comprises approximately 1.9% of Isthmus Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest position. Isthmus Partners LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $16,106,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. FMR LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.6% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,617,149 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,679,911,000 after buying an additional 40,992 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 8.5% during the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 546,960 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $568,188,000 after buying an additional 42,866 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 5.2% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 360,026 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $324,841,000 after buying an additional 17,699 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 4.1% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 324,367 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $336,956,000 after purchasing an additional 12,805 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 3.1% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 284,666 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $295,714,000 after purchasing an additional 8,552 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

GWW stock opened at $1,205.87 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $58.73 billion, a PE ratio of 32.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 1.15. The company’s 50-day moving average is $1,110.47 and its 200-day moving average is $1,002.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 2.59 and a quick ratio of 1.68. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $772.13 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.98 by ($0.11). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 51.78% and a net margin of 10.80%. The business 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 company earned $9.43 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 11th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.68%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.23%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Baird R W raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of 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. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price objective on the stock. Oppenheimer cut shares of W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,109.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other W.W. Grainger news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,206.03, for a total value of $150,753.75. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 675 shares in the company, valued at approximately $814,070.25. This trade represents a 15.63 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,000.82, for a total transaction of $27,524,551.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 111,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $111,650,478.38. This trade represents a 19.78 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 50,900 shares of company stock worth $52,640,733 in the last quarter. Insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

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.