W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) Financial Ratios
30 years of historical data (1996–2025) · Industrials · Industrial - Distribution
EV/EBITDA
↑
19.20
+18% vs avg
5yr avg: 16.31
30Y Low6.9·High20.0
P/FCF
↓
40.54
↑+25% vs avg
5yr avg: 32.30
30Y Low11.1·High39.7
P/B Ratio
↓
13.15
+8% vs avg
5yr avg: 12.13
30Y Low2.2·High13.9
ROE
↓
43.5%
-19% vs avg
5yr avg: 53.7%
30Y Low11%·High63%
Debt/EBITDA
↓
1.07
↓-9% vs avg
5yr avg: 1.18
30Y Low0.0·High2.2
Percentile shows where the current value sits in 30-year historical distribution. Sparklines show 5-year trend.
GWW Valuation Multiples
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
W.W. Grainger, Inc. trades at 32.1x earnings, 31% above its 5-year average of 24.5x, sitting at the 100th percentile of its historical range. Compared to the Industrials sector median P/E of 25.7x, the stock trades at a premium of 25%. On a free-cash-flow basis, the stock trades at 40.5x P/FCF, 25% above the 5-year average of 32.3x.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $54.0B | $48.4B | $51.6B | $41.5B | $28.4B | $27.1B | $21.9B | $18.6B | $16.0B | $13.7B | $14.1B |
| Enterprise Value | $56.5B | $51.0B | $53.8B | $43.6B | $30.8B | $29.6B | $24.0B | $20.4B | $17.6B | $15.7B | $16.1B |
| P/E Ratio → | 32.06 | 28.50 | 27.23 | 22.70 | 18.38 | 25.94 | 31.56 | 21.90 | 20.42 | 23.58 | 23.53 |
| P/S Ratio | 3.01 | 2.70 | 3.01 | 2.52 | 1.87 | 2.08 | 1.86 | 1.62 | 1.42 | 1.31 | 1.39 |
| P/B Ratio | 13.15 | 11.70 | 13.95 | 12.07 | 10.39 | 12.52 | 10.48 | 9.02 | 7.63 | 7.49 | 7.41 |
| P/FCF | 40.54 | 36.39 | 32.90 | 26.18 | 26.39 | 39.67 | 23.68 | 22.64 | 19.51 | 16.72 | 19.66 |
| P/OCF | 26.78 | 24.04 | 24.47 | 20.44 | 21.32 | 28.87 | 19.53 | 17.84 | 15.10 | 12.97 | 14.09 |
P/E links to full P/E history page with 30-year chart
GWW EV Ratios
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
W.W. Grainger, Inc.'s enterprise value stands at 19.2x EBITDA, 18% above its 5-year average of 16.3x. The Industrials sector median is 13.7x, placing the stock at a 41% premium on an enterprise-value basis.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV / Revenue | — | 2.84 | 3.13 | 2.65 | 2.02 | 2.27 | 2.03 | 1.78 | 1.57 | 1.51 | 1.59 |
| EV / EBITDA | 19.20 | 17.32 | 18.72 | 15.69 | 12.76 | 17.06 | 20.05 | 13.72 | 12.50 | 12.02 | 11.77 |
| EV / EBIT | 21.01 | 20.32 | 20.22 | 16.82 | 13.98 | 19.05 | 23.04 | 15.87 | 15.09 | 15.33 | 14.84 |
| EV / FCF | — | 38.33 | 34.26 | 27.50 | 28.60 | 43.36 | 25.87 | 24.90 | 21.57 | 19.18 | 22.40 |
GWW Profitability
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
W.W. Grainger, Inc. earns an operating margin of 15.0%, above the Industrials sector average of 4.7%. Return on equity of 43.5% is exceptionally high — well above the sector median of 8.2%. ROIC of 32.1% represents excellent returns on invested capital versus a sector median of 6.3%.
Margins
Full margin charts and quarterly trend are on the Earnings History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 39.1% | 39.1% | 39.0% | 39.4% | 38.4% | 36.2% | 35.9% | 38.3% | 38.7% | 39.3% | 40.6% |
| Operating Margin | 15.0% | 15.0% | 15.4% | 15.6% | 14.5% | 11.9% | 8.6% | 11.0% | 10.3% | 10.1% | 11.0% |
| Net Profit Margin | 9.5% | 9.5% | 11.1% | 11.1% | 10.2% | 8.0% | 5.9% | 7.4% | 7.0% | 5.6% | 6.0% |
Return on Capital
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | 43.5% | 43.5% | 53.4% | 59.2% | 63.2% | 49.0% | 33.5% | 40.9% | 39.9% | 31.4% | 28.5% |
| ROA | 19.2% | 19.2% | 22.5% | 23.2% | 21.8% | 16.2% | 11.3% | 14.3% | 13.4% | 10.2% | 10.5% |
| ROIC | 32.1% | 32.1% | 34.7% | 36.1% | 33.9% | 26.4% | 19.0% | 24.6% | 22.8% | 20.4% | 21.2% |
| ROCE | 39.7% | 39.7% | 41.1% | 43.1% | 41.6% | 31.2% | 22.2% | 29.0% | 26.7% | 25.1% | 27.7% |
GWW Leverage & Debt
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
W.W. Grainger, Inc. carries a Debt/EBITDA ratio of 1.1x, which is manageable (65% below the sector average of 3.1x). Net debt stands at $2.6B ($3.2B total debt minus $585M cash). Interest coverage of 33.2x signals virtually no risk of debt distress — earnings comfortably cover interest obligations.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt / Equity | 0.76 | 0.76 | 0.86 | 0.80 | 0.99 | 1.28 | 1.25 | 1.08 | 1.06 | 1.28 | 1.18 |
| Debt / EBITDA | 1.07 | 1.07 | 1.11 | 0.99 | 1.12 | 1.59 | 2.19 | 1.49 | 1.57 | 1.79 | 1.64 |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | 0.62 | 0.58 | 0.61 | 0.87 | 1.17 | 0.97 | 0.90 | 0.80 | 1.10 | 1.04 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.88 | 0.88 | 0.75 | 0.75 | 0.99 | 1.45 | 1.70 | 1.24 | 1.19 | 1.54 | 1.44 |
| Debt / FCF | — | 1.94 | 1.37 | 1.32 | 2.21 | 3.70 | 2.19 | 2.26 | 2.06 | 2.46 | 2.75 |
| Interest Coverage | 33.22 | 33.22 | 34.25 | 27.58 | 23.82 | 17.78 | 10.96 | 15.97 | 13.16 | 11.78 | 14.73 |
GWW Liquidity & Efficiency
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
W.W. Grainger, Inc.'s current ratio of 2.83x is well above the 1.0 safety threshold, indicating strong short-term liquidity with ample room to cover current liabilities. The quick ratio of 1.59x is notably lower than the current ratio, indicating a significant portion of current assets is tied up in inventory. The current ratio has declined from 2.88x to 2.83x over the past 3 years.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 2.83 | 2.83 | 2.49 | 2.88 | 2.48 | 2.63 | 2.72 | 2.12 | 2.37 | 2.13 | 1.85 |
| Quick Ratio | 1.59 | 1.59 | 1.49 | 1.64 | 1.36 | 1.40 | 1.52 | 1.13 | 1.34 | 1.18 | 0.99 |
| Cash Ratio | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.45 | 0.36 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.41 | 0.21 | 0.36 | 0.22 | 0.17 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 2.00 | 1.94 | 2.02 | 2.01 | 1.98 | 1.87 | 1.91 | 1.91 | 1.80 | 1.78 |
| Inventory Turnover | 4.57 | 4.57 | 4.54 | 4.41 | 4.16 | 4.44 | 4.36 | 4.28 | 4.46 | 4.43 | 4.28 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | 47.38 | 47.45 | 48.55 | 51.13 | 49.16 | 45.61 | 45.28 | 45.05 | 46.39 | 44.04 |
GWW Shareholder Yields
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
W.W. Grainger, Inc. returns 2.8% to shareholders annually — split between a 0.9% dividend yield and 1.9% buyback yield. The payout ratio of 27.4% is conservative, leaving significant room for dividend growth or reinvestment. The earnings yield of 3.1% (inverse of P/E) provides a useful comparison to bond yields when assessing the stock's relative attractiveness to fixed income.
Dividends
Full dividend history and growth charts are on the Dividend History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 0.9% | 1.0% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 2.0% | 2.2% | 2.1% |
| Payout Ratio | 27.4% | 27.4% | 22.1% | 21.4% | 23.9% | 34.2% | 48.6% | 38.6% | 40.4% | 51.9% | 50.0% |
Total Shareholder Return Metrics
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 3.1% | 3.5% | 3.7% | 4.4% | 5.4% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 4.6% | 4.9% | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| FCF Yield | 2.5% | 2.7% | 3.0% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 4.2% | 4.4% | 5.1% | 6.0% | 5.1% |
| Buyback Yield | 1.9% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 2.0% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 2.7% | 3.8% | 2.7% | 4.4% | 5.6% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 2.8% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.0% | 3.4% | 3.9% | 4.3% | 5.5% | 4.6% | 6.6% | 7.7% |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $48M | $49M | $50M | $51M | $52M | $54M | $55M | $57M | $58M | $61M |
Peer Comparison
Compare GWW with 10 similar companies in its peer group
| Company | Market Cap | P/E | EV/EBITDA | P/FCF | Gross Margin | Op Margin | ROE | ROIC | Debt/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 GWWYou | $54B | 32.1 | 19.2 | 40.5 | 39.1% | 15.0% | 43.5% | 32.1% | 1.1 |
 MSM | $6B | 28.9 | 15.4 | 23.9 | 40.8% | 8.3% | 14.2% | 12.3% | 1.3 |
 FAST | $51B | 40.7 | 30.8 | 48.4 | 45.0% | 20.2% | 33.3% | 31.2% | 0.3 |
 SITE | $5B | 35.9 | 16.2 | 21.7 | 34.8% | 5.1% | 9.3% | 7.3% | 2.6 |
 DXPE | $3B | 33.4 | 17.2 | 51.5 | 31.5% | 8.8% | 19.2% | 21.6% | 0.6 |
 WSO | $17B | 34.3 | 23.3 | 31.9 | 28.0% | 9.6% | 15.8% | 16.6% | 0.7 |
 GPC | $15B | 221.9 | 12.7 | 34.5 | 34.6% | 5.0% | 1.5% | 8.3% | 4.7 |
 AIT | $11B | 30.2 | 20.5 | 24.3 | 30.3% | 10.9% | 22.2% | 18.7% | 1.0 |
 WDFC | $4B | 31.3 | 37.7 | 50.1 | 55.1% | 16.7% | 36.5% | 26.2% | 0.9 |
 HON | $132B | 28.4 | 19.4 | 24.6 | 36.9% | 17.5% | 27.3% | 12.6% | 4.3 |
 MMM | $74B | 23.8 | 15.1 | 53.4 | 39.6% | 18.3% | 75.2% | 28.1% | 2.4 |
| Industrials Median | — | 25.7 | 13.7 | 21.2 | 33.0% | 4.7% | 8.2% | 6.3% | 3.1 |
Peer selection based on competitive and market overlap. Compare multiple stocks →
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Includes 30+ ratios · 30 years · Updated daily
Full GWW Stock Analysis
Analyst consensus, bull case, AI-generated risk factors, and peer comparison — all in one place.
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Side-by-side business, growth, and profitability comparison vs MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc..
Start ComparisonGWW — Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying GWW stock.
What is W.W. Grainger, Inc.'s P/E ratio?
W.W. Grainger, Inc.'s current P/E ratio is 32.1x. The historical average is 21.4x. This places it at the 100th percentile of its historical range.
What is W.W. Grainger, Inc.'s EV/EBITDA?
W.W. Grainger, Inc.'s current EV/EBITDA is 19.2x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 11.7x.
What is W.W. Grainger, Inc.'s ROE?
W.W. Grainger, Inc.'s return on equity (ROE) is 43.5%. This is above the typical threshold of 15-20% considered good for most companies. The historical average is 27.2%.
Is GWW stock overvalued?
Based on historical data, W.W. Grainger, Inc. is trading at a P/E of 32.1x. This is at the 100th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
What is W.W. Grainger, Inc.'s dividend yield?
W.W. Grainger, Inc.'s current dividend yield is 0.86% with a payout ratio of 27.4%.
What are W.W. Grainger, Inc.'s profit margins?
W.W. Grainger, Inc. has 39.1% gross margin and 15.0% operating margin. Operating margin between 10-20% is typical for established companies.
How much debt does W.W. Grainger, Inc. have?
W.W. Grainger, Inc.'s Debt/EBITDA ratio is 1.1x, indicating moderate leverage. A ratio below 2x is generally considered financially healthy.