W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) had its price objective lowered by Loop Capital from $1,000.00 to $950.00 in a research report released on Monday morning, reports. The brokerage currently has a hold rating on the industrial products company’s stock.\n\nSeveral other research firms have also commented on GWW. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 27th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,080.38.\n\nW.W. Grainger (<a>NYSE:GWW</a> – <a>Free Report</a>) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.07 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $4.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.52 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.99% and a return on equity of 49.63%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $9.76 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that W.W. Grainger will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.\n\nThe business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 11th will be issued a dividend of $2.26 per share. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.94%.\n\nIn other W.W. Grainger news, VP <a>Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli</a> sold 280 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,075.20, for a total transaction of $301,056.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 3,369 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,622,348.80. This trade represents a 7.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through <a>this hyperlink</a>. 6.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.\n\nA number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GWW. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 46.8% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 320 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $338,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth approximately $204,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 620 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $654,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. now owns 16,843 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $17,753,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 94,271 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $99,366,000 after acquiring an additional 478 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.\n\nW.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.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) Price Target Cut to $950.00 by Analysts at Loop Capital

Analysts at Loop Capital lowered W.W. Grainger's (NYSE:GWW) price target to $950.00 from $1,000.00, while other firms adjusted their ratings and targets. The company reported Q2 earnings per share of $9.97, missing estimates, and announced a quarterly dividend. Insider trading details and institutional investor activity were also highlighted.