Simmons Bank Buys New Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Simmons Bank purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 287 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $238,000.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 3,178 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,633,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Ardevora Asset Management LLP acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth about $11,075,000. Sigma Planning Corp increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 23.4% in the 3rd quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 633 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $438,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 11.3% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 71,748 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $49,638,000 after acquiring an additional 7,273 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James & Associates lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 12.1% during the fourth quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 82,038 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $67,984,000 after purchasing an additional 8,865 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

GWW stock traded up $3.19 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $949.08. 171,060 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 237,835. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 2.19. The stock has a market cap of $46.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.12, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $641.95 and a fifty-two week high of $1,034.18. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $977.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $886.65.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The industrial products company reported $9.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.57 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $4.24 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.26 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.94% and a return on equity of 54.31%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $9.61 EPS. Research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 39.27 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 13th will be issued a dividend of $2.05 per share. This is a boost from W.W. Grainger’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.86. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 10th. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.86%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.54%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GWW has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $740.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, March 14th. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,075.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on W.W. Grainger from $800.00 to $925.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Loop Capital cut their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $975.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 29th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $938.89.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 3,813 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $968.88, for a total transaction of $3,694,339.44. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 4,909 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,756,231.92. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company 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.