W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Shares Sold by Birch Capital Management LLC

Birch Capital Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 1.0% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 14,835 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 144 shares during the quarter. W.W. Grainger accounts for approximately 7.1% of Birch Capital Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest position. Birch Capital Management LLC’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $11,699,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the first quarter valued at about $30,000. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 1,067 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $550,000 after buying an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. grew its stake in W.W. Grainger by 67.9% in the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 789 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $407,000 after buying an additional 319 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 33.6% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 26,661 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $13,947,000 after purchasing an additional 6,705 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 212.9% in the first quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 25,798 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $13,306,000 after buying an additional 17,553 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.24% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

NYSE:GWW opened at $693.81 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.63, a current ratio of 2.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $722.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $703.13. The stock has a market cap of $34.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.21. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $483.19 and a twelve month high of $811.60.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The industrial products company reported $9.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.96 by $0.32. The company had revenue of $4.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 11.04% and a return on equity of 60.40%. W.W. Grainger’s quarterly revenue was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $7.19 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 36.03 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 14th were paid a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 11th. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.07%. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is 21.44%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on GWW. UBS Group decreased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $820.00 to $750.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 28th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $647.00 to $653.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 28th. StockNews.com raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 13th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $795.00 to $790.00 in a research report on Friday, July 28th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $775.00 price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, August 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $734.63.

W.W. Grainger Profile

W.W. Grainger, Inc distributes maintenance, repair, and operating products and services in the United States, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, High-Touch Solutions N.A. and Endless Assortment. The company provides safety and security supplies, material handling and storage equipment, pumps and plumbing equipment, cleaning and maintenance supplies, and metalworking and hand tools.