XML Financial LLC Sells 13 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

XML Financial LLC trimmed its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 5.6% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 218 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 13 shares during the quarter. XML Financial LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $226,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in GWW. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 12.9% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 1,500 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,526,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at about $211,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at about $41,000. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 9.4% during the first quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 561 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $570,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dearborn Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the first quarter worth about $231,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW opened at $1,220.93 on Tuesday. 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 firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $1,059.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $981.51. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $772.13 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $59.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 1.15.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued 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). 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $9.43 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.91 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 11th will be issued a $2.05 dividend. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.67%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is 22.23%.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In other news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total transaction of $10,705,553.68. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 4,379 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,895,021.36. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 9,577 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,117.84, for a total transaction 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 represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 12,992 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,037.68, for a total value of $13,481,538.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 98,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $102,281,004.56. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 50,775 shares of company stock valued at $52,489,979. Corporate insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on GWW shares. Northcoast Research initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Morgan Stanley began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, September 6th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $990.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com raised W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Oppenheimer downgraded W.W. Grainger from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Baird R W upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,058.50.

W.W. Grainger Profile

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.