Associated Banc Corp Has $422,000 Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Associated Banc Corp decreased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 406 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 23 shares during the period. Associated Banc Corp’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $422,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in GWW. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 250.0% during the third quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 111.1% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 38 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 38.9% during the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of GWW opened at $1,217.13 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $59.27 billion, a PE ratio of 32.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 1.15. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $772.13 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $1,102.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $999.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a current ratio of 2.59.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last released its earnings results 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 company had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.40 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The firm’s revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $9.43 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.92 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on GWW. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,018.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Loop Capital lifted 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. UBS Group began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Monday, October 7th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $925.00 price target for the company. Finally, 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,109.00.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

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

W.W. Grainger Company 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.