Albert D Mason Inc. Sells 244 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Albert D Mason Inc. decreased its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 9.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,285 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 244 shares during the quarter. W.W. Grainger makes up 1.5% of Albert D Mason Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Albert D Mason Inc.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,257,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bancreek Capital Management LP bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth $3,687,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 29.2% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,833 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,932,000 after acquiring an additional 414 shares during the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 66.3% in the fourth quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 2,188 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,306,000 after acquiring an additional 872 shares during the last quarter. Puff Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth $280,000. Finally, AustralianSuper Pty Ltd grew its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 694.1% in the fourth quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd now owns 76,674 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $80,818,000 after acquiring an additional 67,018 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.2%

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,080.60 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $888.75 and a one year high of $1,227.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $51.91 billion, a PE ratio of 27.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.21. The business’s fifty day moving average is $1,041.65 and its 200 day moving average is $1,053.95.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.86 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.51 by $0.35. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 52.43% and a net margin of 11.12%. The company had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.31 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $9.62 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger’s revenue was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 12th were issued a $2.26 dividend. This is an increase from W.W. Grainger’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.05. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 12th. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.84%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 23.21%.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In other W.W. Grainger news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 280 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,075.20, for a total value of $301,056.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 3,369 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,622,348.80. This represents a 7.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 761 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,042.86, for a total value of $793,616.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 578 shares in the company, valued at approximately $602,773.08. This represents a 56.83% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,205 shares of company stock valued at $2,255,320. 6.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,097.00 to $1,144.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Wolfe Research cut W.W. Grainger from a “peer perform” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $966.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. William Blair raised W.W. Grainger from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,123.13.

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.