W.W. Grainger, Inc.GWW
NYSE•Industrials•Industrial Distribution
W.W. Grainger, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, distributes maintenance, repair, and operating products and services primarily in North America, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The company operates through two segments, High-Touch Solutions North America and Endless Assortment. It provides safety, security, material handling and storage equipment, pumps and plumbing equipment, cleaning and maintenance, and metalworking and hand tools. The company also offers technical support and inventory management services. It serves smaller businesses to large corporations, government entities, and other institutions, as well as commercial, healthcare, and manufacturing industries through sales and service representatives, and electronic and ecommerce channels. W.W. Grainger, Inc. was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois.
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) reported trailing twelve months revenue of $18.38B as of March 2026, a 6.6% increase year-over-year. Quarterly revenue reached $4.74B, reflecting continued top-line momentum.
W.W. Grainger, Inc. generated $1.78B in TTM net income, with quarterly EBITDA of $855.00M. The operating margin expanded from 15.6% to 16.7%, suggesting improving cost efficiency and pricing discipline.
The spread between operating margin (16.7%) and net margin (11.7%) indicates moderate non-operating costs. Net margin has improved from 11.1% a year ago, signaling stronger bottom-line efficiency.
GWW trades at a P/E of 34.9x (a premium multiple) and a P/S of 3.4x. The price-to-book ratio of 15.8x indicates a significant premium over book value.
The company generated $569.00M in free cash flow over the trailing twelve months, a 9.2% increase year-over-year, indicating cash generation ability. The balance sheet shows $9.47B in total assets with $2.41B in long-term debt against $3.93B in stockholders equity for a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.6. Data based on the most recent quarterly reports.
Competitive analysis based on 21 quarters of fundamental data
Operating margins are positive at ~14.8% on average, but show some variability — pricing power may be sensitive to market conditions.
Consistently high ROE averaging 51.4% suggests a durable competitive advantage and efficient capital allocation.
8 of the last 8 quarters generated positive FCF. The company generally funds itself but has occasional cash consumption quarters.
TTM revenue has grown consistently (7 of 7 quarters up), with ~9.7% growth over the period. Strong demand durability.
Data-driven red flags and warnings across 21 quarters
Operating margins declined 7.1% — watch for continued compression, which may signal competitive or cost pressure.
FCF/Net Income has dropped below 0.7x in 3 quarters — monitor for earnings quality deterioration.
D/E ratio is 0.6 — conservative capital structure with low financial risk.
Revenue is stable or growing over recent quarters — demand appears durable.
Free cash flow is consistently positive — the business self-funds without external capital reliance.
Shares decreased 3.5% — net buybacks are reducing shares outstanding and boosting per-share value.
Quarterly standardized metrics.
Stock price and market valuation
Revenue and earnings growth across quarters
Assets, cash, debt, and leverage
Price multiples and return ratios
Operating efficiency and return metrics
Free cash flow, earnings quality, and capital allocation