B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG Invests $11.61 Million in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 11,178 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,612,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of GWW. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 250.0% in the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. HWG Holdings LP bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Triad Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at $42,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 38.9% in the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 50 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the period. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 537.5% in the 1st quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 51 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In related news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 704 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 9,509 shares in the company, valued at $10,513,055.31. This trade represents a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Donald G. Macpherson sold 27,502 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 in the company, valued at $111,650,478.38. This represents a 19.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 ninety days. Company insiders own 9.50% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,172.13 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. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $772.13 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66. The company has a market cap of $57.08 billion, a PE ratio of 31.77, a PEG ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.15. The company’s 50-day moving average is $1,082.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $990.71.

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). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.80% and a return on equity of 51.78%. The business had revenue of $4.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $9.43 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.92 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 11th will be given 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 0.70%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is 22.23%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Northcoast Research initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Wolfe Research raised shares of W.W. Grainger to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, September 22nd. Robert W. Baird raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $975.00 to $1,230.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1,280.00 target price on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,109.00.

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.