W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) was downgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Thursday.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Wolfe Research raised W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, September 22nd. UBS Group started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 price target on the stock. Northcoast Research began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Loop Capital boosted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $900.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Finally, Oppenheimer cut shares of W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,140.56.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

NYSE GWW opened at $1,092.96 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $1,150.98 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $1,026.14. W.W. Grainger has a 12-month low of $800.97 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $53.23 billion, a PE ratio of 29.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $9.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.98 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $4.39 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 51.78% and a net margin of 10.80%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $9.43 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that W.W. Grainger will post 38.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In related news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,105.59, for a total value of $778,335.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 9,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,513,055.31. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 125 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the vice president now directly owns 675 shares in the company, valued at $814,070.25. The trade was a 15.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 23,398 shares of company stock valued at $25,116,181. 9.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 4.8% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 58,961 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $61,249,000 after acquiring an additional 2,725 shares in the last quarter. 1ST Source Bank increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 10.2% during the 3rd quarter. 1ST Source Bank now owns 1,262 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,311,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 9,789 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $10,169,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the last quarter. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the third quarter valued at about $1,166,000. Finally, Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp grew its stake in W.W. Grainger by 12.5% during the third quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp now owns 908 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $943,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% 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.