Howard John L Form 4 W.W. GRAINGER / JOHN L HOWARD ownership change

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

HOWARD JOHN L

(Last) (First) (Middle)

100 GRAINGER PARKWAY

(Street)

LAKE FOREST IL 60045

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
W.W. GRAINGER, INC. [ GWW ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

	Director	10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)	Other (specify below)
Sr. VP and General Counsel

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
04/01/2021

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	04/01/2021		A(1)		1,326	A	$0.00	40,893	D
Common Stock	04/01/2021		F(2)		458	D	$400.93	40,435	D
Common Stock	04/02/2021		A(3)		2,993	A	$0.00	43,428	D
Common Stock	04/02/2021		F(4)		1,326	D	$406.35	42,102	D
Common Stock	04/05/2021		S(5)		2,535	D	$407.2123(6)	39,567	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Option	$231.88							04/01/2018	03/31/2025	Common Stock	9,728		9,728	D
Stock Option	$234.38							04/01/2019	03/31/2026	Common Stock	12,390		12,390	D
Stock Option	$231.2							04/03/2020	04/02/2027	Common Stock	8,607		8,607	D
Stock Option	$276.64							04/02/2021	04/01/2028	Common Stock	8,979		8,979	D
Stock Option	$311.26							(7)	03/31/2029	Common Stock	5,977		5,977	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. April 1, 2021 award of restricted stock units to be settled after vesting by the delivery of unrestricted shares of common stock on a one-for-one basis. This award generally vests in three tranches, where 1/3 vests on April 1, 2022, 1/3 vests on April 1, 2023, and the remainder vests on April 1, 2024. However, because Mr. Howard meets the criteria for retirement-eligibility applicable to all employees under the W.W. Grainger, Inc. Amended and Restated 2015 Incentive Plan, dated October 31, 2018, his restricted stock units vested immediately upon award and were settled through the delivery of unrestricted shares of common stock on a one-for-one basis, effective April 1, 2021.

2. Shares withheld for tax withholding for the restricted stock unit settlement described in footnote 1 above.

3. These were performance vested restricted stock units ("PRSUs"), granted on January 1, 2018. The Company's performance over the three-year period ended December 31, 2020 achieved a payout equal to 100% of the 2018 PRSU program target, as approved by the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board") acting in executive session with only independent directors participating, on February 17, 2021, upon the earlier determination of the Compensation Committee of the Board.

4. Shares withheld for tax withholding for the PRSU settlement described in footnote 3 above.

5. Transaction pursuant to a previously adopted Rule 10b5-1 trading program.

6. The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $406.9636 to $407.69, inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide W.W. Grainger, Inc., any security holder of W.W. Grainger, Inc., or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the ranges set forth in this footnote (6).

7. The stock option will fully vest in three years, where 1/3 shall vest on April 1, 2020, 1/3 shall vest on April 1, 2021, and the remainder shall vest on April 1, 2022.

Remarks:

	Hugo Dubovoy, Jr., as attorney-in-fact	04/05/2021
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
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