W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) CEO Sells $14,128,119.63 in Stock

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) CEO Donald Macpherson sold 14,523 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $972.81, for a total value of $14,128,119.63. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 107,862 shares in the company, valued at approximately $104,929,232.22. This represents a 11.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of GWW stock traded down $15.90 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $959.64. The stock had a trading volume of 283,996 shares, compared to its average volume of 289,211. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $953.28 and its 200 day simple moving average is $999.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.63 billion, a PE ratio of 26.91, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.11. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $893.99 and a 12 month high of $1,189.64. The company has a current ratio of 2.72, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $10.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.95 by $0.26. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 9.75% and a return on equity of 49.40%. The business had revenue of $4.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $9.87 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 39.000-39.750 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 10th were paid a dividend of $2.26 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 10th. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.35%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on GWW shares. Barclays boosted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $963.00 to $975.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Monday, December 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,006.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $975.00 target price for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,035.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $1,009.43.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Fiduciary Alliance LLC bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the second quarter valued at approximately $274,000. Pure Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter valued at $287,000. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 128.8% in the 2nd quarter. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG now owns 2,128 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,214,000 after purchasing an additional 1,198 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 7.5% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 15,989 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $15,795,000 after purchasing an additional 1,120 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 7.8% in the 2nd quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 19,712 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $20,455,000 after purchasing an additional 1,428 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.