Operating margins expanded to 16.7% in 2026Q1, reflecting effective overhead management as revenue growth accelerated to 10.1% from 4.5% in the prior quarter.
| Metric | TTM | Dec'25 | Dec'24 | Dec'23 | Dec'22 | Dec'21 | Dec'20 | Dec'19 | Dec'18 | Dec'17 | Dec'16 | Dec'15 | Dec'14 | Dec'13 | Dec'12 | Dec'11 | Dec'10 | Dec'09 | Dec'08 | Dec'07 | Dec'06 | Dec'05 | Dec'04 | Dec'03 | Dec'02 | Dec'01 | Dec'00 | Dec'99 | Dec'98 | Dec'97 | Dec'96 |
|---|
| Sales/Revenue | 18.38B | 17.94B | 17.17B | 16.48B | 15.23B | 13.02B | 11.8B | 11.49B | 11.22B | 10.42B | 10.14B | 9.97B | 9.96B | 9.44B | 8.95B | 8.08B | 7.18B | 6.22B | 6.85B | 6.42B | 5.88B | 5.53B | 5.05B | 4.67B | 4.64B | 4.75B | 4.98B | 4.53B | 4.34B | 4.14B | 3.54B |
| Revenue Growth % | 6.61% | 4.51% | 4.19% | 8.21% | 16.94% | 10.38% | 2.71% | 2.36% | 7.64% | 2.84% | 1.64% | 0.08% | 5.59% | 5.45% | 10.79% | 12.48% | 15.43% | -9.17% | 6.73% | 9.08% | 6.46% | 9.44% | 8.2% | 0.5% | -2.32% | -4.48% | 9.77% | 4.44% | 4.95% | 16.95% | 7.94% |
| Cost of Goods Sold | 11.18B | 10.93B | 10.48B | 9.98B | 9.38B | 8.3B | 7.56B | 7.09B | 6.87B | 6.33B | 6.02B | 5.74B | 5.65B | 5.3B | 5.03B | 4.57B | 4.18B | 3.62B | 4.04B | 3.81B | 3.53B | 3.37B | 3.14B | 3.03B | 3.05B | 3.17B | 3.28B | 2.78B | 2.66B | 2.56B | 2.2B |
| COGS % of Revenue | - | 60.94% | 61.04% | 60.58% | 61.59% | 63.75% | 64.08% | 61.72% | 61.25% | 60.69% | 59.41% | 57.57% | 56.71% | 56.17% | 56.24% | 56.54% | 58.15% | 58.24% | 59% | 59.43% | 59.99% | 60.89% | 62.24% | 64.9% | 65.58% | 66.57% | 66% | 61.38% | 61.38% | 61.95% | 62.07% |
| Gross Profit | 7.2B | 7.01B | 6.69B | 6.5B | 5.85B | 4.72B | 4.24B | 4.4B | 4.35B | 4.1B | 4.11B | 4.23B | 4.31B | 4.14B | 3.92B | 3.51B | 3.01B | 2.6B | 2.81B | 2.6B | 2.35B | 2.16B | 1.91B | 1.64B | 1.6B | 1.59B | 1.69B | 1.75B | 1.68B | 1.57B | 1.34B |
| Gross Margin % | 39.15% | 39.06% | 38.96% | 39.42% | 38.41% | 36.25% | 35.92% | 38.28% | 38.75% | 39.31% | 40.59% | 42.43% | 43.29% | 43.83% | 43.76% | 43.46% | 41.85% | 41.76% | 41% | 40.57% | 40.01% | 39.11% | 37.76% | 35.1% | 34.42% | 33.43% | 34% | 38.62% | 38.62% | 38.05% | 37.93% |
| Gross Profit Growth % | - | 4.8% | 2.96% | 11.06% | 23.92% | 11.37% | -3.62% | 1.13% | 6.11% | -0.41% | -2.76% | -1.92% | 4.3% | 5.63% | 11.55% | 16.81% | 15.67% | -7.47% | 7.86% | 10.6% | 8.91% | 13.37% | 16.4% | 2.49% | 0.56% | -6.08% | -3.35% | 4.43% | 6.52% | 17.33% | 7.13% |
| Operating Expenses | 4.58B | 4.32B | 4.05B | 3.93B | 3.63B | 3.17B | 3.22B | 3.13B | 3.19B | 3.05B | 3B | 2.93B | 2.97B | 2.84B | 2.79B | 2.46B | 2.15B | 1.93B | 2.03B | 1.93B | 1.78B | 1.64B | 1.47B | 1.25B | 1.21B | 1.21B | 1.36B | 1.43B | 1.27B | 1.18B | 996M |
| OpEx % of Revenue | - | 24.07% | 23.6% | 23.86% | 23.86% | 24.37% | 27.29% | 27.29% | 28.43% | 29.25% | 29.55% | 29.39% | 29.78% | 30.09% | 31.12% | 30.43% | 29.87% | 31.07% | 29.57% | 30.12% | 30.19% | 29.72% | 29.06% | 26.81% | 25.99% | 25.49% | 27.27% | 31.62% | 29.22% | 28.55% | 28.16% |
| Selling, General & Admin | 4.58B | 4.32B | 4.02B | 3.93B | 3.63B | 3.17B | 3.22B | 3.13B | 3.19B | 2.85B | 2.83B | 2.82B | 2.85B | 2.84B | 2.79B | 2.46B | 2.15B | 1.93B | 2.03B | 1.93B | 1.78B | 1.64B | 1.47B | 1.25B | 1.21B | 1.21B | 1.25B | 1.34B | 1.19B | 1.1B | 921.7M |
| SG&A % of Revenue | - | 24.07% | 23.39% | 23.86% | 23.86% | 24.37% | 27.29% | 27.29% | 28.43% | 27.29% | 27.88% | 28.29% | 28.58% | 30.09% | 31.12% | 30.43% | 29.87% | 31.07% | 29.57% | 30.12% | 30.19% | 29.72% | 29.06% | 26.81% | 25.99% | 25.49% | 25.12% | 29.45% | 27.4% | 26.62% | 26.06% |
| Research & Development | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| R&D % of Revenue | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Operating Expenses | 0 | 0 | 35M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3M | -3M | -4M | -4M | -4M | -3.1M | -3.2M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 106.89M | 98.2M | 78.9M | 79.7M | 74.3M |
| Operating Income | 2.62B | 2.69B | 2.64B | 2.56B | 2.21B | 1.55B | 1.02B | 1.26B | 1.16B | 1.05B | 1.12B | 1.3B | 1.35B | 1.3B | 1.13B | 1.05B | 860.48M | 665.22M | 782.67M | 670.65M | 578.07M | 518.99M | 439.53M | 387.26M | 393.15M | 338.57M | 335.12M | 317.3M | 408M | 393.1M | 345.5M |
| Operating Margin % | 14.23% | 15% | 15.36% | 15.57% | 14.55% | 11.88% | 8.64% | 10.99% | 10.32% | 10.06% | 11.04% | 13.04% | 13.52% | 13.74% | 12.64% | 13.03% | 11.98% | 10.69% | 11.43% | 10.45% | 9.83% | 9.39% | 8.7% | 8.3% | 8.47% | 7.12% | 6.73% | 7% | 9.4% | 9.5% | 9.77% |
| Operating Income Growth % | - | 2.05% | 2.81% | 15.8% | 43.18% | 51.82% | -19.26% | 8.98% | 10.43% | -6.33% | -13.91% | -3.47% | 3.88% | 14.65% | 7.48% | 22.31% | 29.35% | -15.01% | 16.7% | 16.02% | 11.38% | 18.08% | 13.5% | -1.5% | 16.12% | 1.03% | 5.62% | -22.23% | 3.79% | 13.78% | 9.27% |
| EBITDA | 2.87B | 2.94B | 2.87B | 2.78B | 2.42B | 1.73B | 1.2B | 1.49B | 1.41B | 1.31B | 1.37B | 1.53B | 1.56B | 1.48B | 1.29B | 1.2B | 1.01B | 812.75M | 922.24M | 802.65M | 696.64M | 627.77M | 537.79M | 477.51M | 486.64M | 441.78M | 442.01M | 415.5M | 486.9M | 472.8M | 419.8M |
| EBITDA Margin % | 15.62% | 16.41% | 16.74% | 16.86% | 15.86% | 13.31% | 10.13% | 12.97% | 12.58% | 12.54% | 13.5% | 15.32% | 15.61% | 15.65% | 14.42% | 14.88% | 14.06% | 13.06% | 13.46% | 12.51% | 11.84% | 11.36% | 10.65% | 10.23% | 10.48% | 9.29% | 8.88% | 9.16% | 11.22% | 11.43% | 11.87% |
| EBITDA Growth % | -0.38% | 2.47% | 3.42% | 15.07% | 39.35% | 45.02% | -19.8% | 5.52% | 7.98% | -4.44% | -10.46% | -1.75% | 5.28% | 14.52% | 7.37% | 18.96% | 24.29% | -11.87% | 14.9% | 15.22% | 10.97% | 16.73% | 12.62% | -1.88% | 10.15% | -0.05% | 6.38% | -14.66% | 2.98% | 12.63% | 8.45% |
| D&A (Non-Cash Add-back) | 255M | 254M | 237M | 214M | 200M | 186M | 176M | 228M | 254M | 259M | 248.86M | 227.97M | 208.33M | 180.61M | 159.05M | 149.2M | 149.68M | 147.53M | 139.57M | 132M | 118.57M | 108.78M | 98.26M | 90.25M | 93.49M | 103.21M | 106.89M | 98.2M | 78.9M | 79.7M | 74.3M |
| EBIT | 2.63B | 2.51B | 2.66B | 2.59B | 2.2B | 1.55B | 1.04B | 1.29B | 1.17B | 1.02B | 1.09B | 1.28B | 1.34B | 1.3B | 1.13B | 1.06B | 861.97M | 716.1M | 787.7M | 670.65M | 578.07M | 518.99M | 441.03M | 386.7M | 391.22M | 377.64M | 335.12M | 317.3M | 408M | 393.1M | 345.5M |
| Net Interest Income | -81M | -81M | -77M | -93M | -93M | -87M | -93M | -79M | -82M | -86M | -75M | -32.41M | -8.03M | -9.99M | -13.42M | -7.02M | -6.97M | -7.41M | -9.42M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2.82M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Interest Income | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6M | 3M | 1M | 1.17M | 2.07M | 3.23M | 2.66M | 2.07M | 1.22M | 1.36M | 5.07M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.35M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Interest Expense | 81M | 81M | 77M | 93M | 93M | 87M | 93M | 79M | 88M | 89M | 76M | 33.57M | 10.09M | 13.22M | 16.08M | 9.09M | 8.19M | 8.77M | 14.48M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.17M | 19.24M | 41.29M | 3.52M | 13.6M | 7.2M | 3.5M | 0 |
| Other Income/Expense | -68M | -261M | -53M | -65M | -69M | -62M | -72M | -53M | -77M | -99M | -100.44M | -49.62M | -12.73M | -9.26M | -13.34M | -902K | -6.7M | 42.11M | -9.45M | 11.21M | 24.95M | 13.69M | 3.88M | -6.17M | 4.68M | -41.29M | -3.52M | -13.6M | -7.2M | -3.5M | 3.4M |
| Pretax Income | 2.55B | 2.43B | 2.58B | 2.5B | 2.15B | 1.49B | 947M | 1.21B | 1.08B | 935.32M | 1.02B | 1.25B | 1.33B | 1.29B | 1.12B | 1.05B | 853.78M | 707.34M | 773.22M | 681.86M | 603.02M | 532.67M | 445.14M | 381.09M | 397.84M | 297.28M | 331.6M | 303.7M | 400.8M | 389.6M | 348.9M |
| Pretax Margin % | 13.86% | 13.54% | 15.05% | 15.17% | 14.09% | 11.4% | 8.03% | 10.53% | 9.63% | 8.97% | 10.05% | 12.54% | 13.39% | 13.64% | 12.49% | 13.02% | 11.89% | 11.37% | 11.29% | 10.62% | 10.25% | 9.64% | 8.82% | 8.17% | 8.57% | 6.25% | 6.66% | 6.7% | 9.23% | 9.42% | 9.86% |
| Income Tax | 659M | 622M | 595M | 597M | 533M | 371M | 192M | 314M | 258M | 312.88M | 386.22M | 465.53M | 522.09M | 479.85M | 418.94M | 385.12M | 340.2M | 276.56M | 297.86M | 261.74M | 219.62M | 186.35M | 158.22M | 154.12M | 162.35M | 122.75M | 138.69M | 123M | 162.3M | 157.8M | 140.4M |
| Effective Tax Rate % | 25.86% | 25.6% | 23.03% | 23.88% | 24.84% | 24.98% | 20.27% | 25.97% | 23.87% | 33.45% | 37.9% | 37.22% | 39.13% | 37.27% | 37.48% | 36.62% | 39.85% | 39.1% | 38.52% | 38.39% | 36.42% | 34.98% | 35.54% | 40.44% | 40.81% | 41.29% | 41.83% | 40.5% | 40.49% | 40.5% | 40.24% |
| Net Income | 1.78B | 1.71B | 1.91B | 1.83B | 1.55B | 1.04B | 695M | 849M | 782M | 585.73M | 605.93M | 769M | 801.73M | 797.04M | 689.88M | 658.42M | 510.87M | 430.47M | 475.36M | 420.12M | 383.4M | 346.32M | 286.92M | 226.97M | 211.57M | 174.53M | 192.9M | 180.7M | 238.5M | 231.8M | 208.5M |
| Net Margin % | 9.7% | 9.51% | 11.12% | 11.1% | 10.16% | 8.01% | 5.89% | 7.39% | 6.97% | 5.62% | 5.98% | 7.71% | 8.05% | 8.45% | 7.71% | 8.15% | 7.11% | 6.92% | 6.94% | 6.55% | 6.52% | 6.27% | 5.68% | 4.86% | 4.56% | 3.67% | 3.88% | 3.99% | 5.49% | 5.6% | 5.89% |
| Net Income Growth % | -6.7% | -10.63% | 4.37% | 18.23% | 48.32% | 50.07% | -18.14% | 8.57% | 33.51% | -3.33% | -21.21% | -4.08% | 0.59% | 15.53% | 4.78% | 28.88% | 18.68% | -9.44% | 13.15% | 9.58% | 10.71% | 20.7% | 26.41% | 7.28% | 21.22% | -9.52% | 6.75% | -24.23% | 2.89% | 11.18% | 11.68% |
| Net Income (Continuing) | 1.89B | 1.81B | 1.99B | 1.9B | 1.61B | 1.11B | 755M | 895M | 823M | 623M | 632.84M | 785.17M | 812.3M | 807.75M | 698.85M | 666.41M | 513.58M | 430.77M | 475.36M | 420.12M | 383.4M | 346.32M | 286.92M | 226.97M | 235.49M | 174.53M | 192.9M | 180.7M | 238.5M | 231.8M | 208.5M |
| Discontinued Operations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Minority Interest | 413M | 0 | 345M | 326M | 295M | 286M | 265M | 205M | 172M | 138M | 107.83M | 86.08M | 74.23M | 76.4M | 93.45M | 95.49M | 82.45M | 63.48M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 139K | 96K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EPS (Diluted) | 37.59 | 35.40 | 38.71 | 36.51 | 30.27 | 19.98 | 12.94 | 15.46 | 13.83 | 10.02 | 9.87 | 11.58 | 11.45 | 11.13 | 9.52 | 9.07 | 6.93 | 5.62 | 6.04 | 4.94 | 4.24 | 3.78 | 3.13 | 2.46 | 2.24 | 1.84 | 2.05 | 1.92 | 2.44 | 2.27 | 2.02 |
| EPS Growth % | -4.76% | -8.55% | 6.03% | 20.61% | 51.5% | 54.4% | -16.3% | 11.79% | 38.02% | 1.52% | -14.77% | 1.14% | 2.88% | 16.91% | 4.96% | 30.88% | 23.31% | -6.95% | 22.27% | 16.51% | 12.17% | 20.77% | 27.24% | 9.82% | 21.74% | -10.24% | 6.77% | -21.31% | 7.49% | 12.38% | 10.99% |
| EPS (Basic) | - | 35.47 | 39.04 | 36.65 | 30.39 | 20.10 | 12.99 | 15.52 | 13.93 | 10.07 | 9.94 | 11.69 | 11.59 | 11.31 | 9.71 | 9.26 | 7.05 | 5.70 | 6.21 | 5.10 | 4.36 | 3.87 | 3.18 | 2.50 | 2.30 | 1.87 | 2.07 | 1.95 | 2.48 | 2.31 | 2.04 |
| Diluted Shares Outstanding | 47.4M | 48M | 49M | 50.1M | 51.1M | 52.2M | 53.7M | 54.9M | 56.53M | 57.98M | 60.84M | 65.77M | 69.21M | 70.58M | 71.18M | 71.18M | 72.14M | 74.89M | 78.75M | 85.04M | 90.52M | 91.59M | 91.67M | 92.39M | 94.3M | 94.73M | 94.22M | 94.32M | 97.85M | 102.18M | 103.22M |
| Basic Shares Outstanding | 47.3M | 47.9M | 48.9M | 49.9M | 50.9M | 51.9M | 53.5M | 54.7M | 56.14M | 57.67M | 60.43M | 65.16M | 68.33M | 69.46M | 69.81M | 69.69M | 70.84M | 73.79M | 76.58M | 82.4M | 87.84M | 89.57M | 90.21M | 90.73M | 91.98M | 93.19M | 93M | 92.84M | 96.23M | 100.6M | 102.21M |
| Dividend Payout Ratio | - | 27.37% | 22.05% | 21.43% | 23.92% | 34.23% | 48.63% | 38.63% | 40.41% | 51.9% | 50.01% | 39.85% | 36.35% | 32.05% | 31.9% | 27.42% | 29.82% | 31.29% | 25.56% | 26.92% | 25.53% | 23.87% | 24.83% | 29.64% | 31.42% | 37.5% | 32.59% | 32.54% | 23.77% | 23.25% | 23.98% |
Margin dilution from digital
According to the most recent quarterly financial data, W.W. Grainger achieved a notable revenue growth rate of 10.1% in 2026Q1, marking a significant acceleration from the 4.5% growth observed in the prior quarter and suggesting robust underlying demand velocity across its core industrial distribution segments.
The recent double-digit top-line expansion indicates that the company's high-touch service model is successfully capturing market share despite broader industrial volatility. Investors should monitor whether this acceleration is sustainable or if it reflects temporary inventory restocking cycles that may normalize in subsequent periods.
As reported in the latest income statement, GWW maintained a gross margin of 40.0% in 2026Q1, demonstrating consistent pricing power that appears to validate the company's ability to pass through inflationary costs to its customer base while preserving its value proposition in the MRO market.
The stability of these margins suggests that the company's private-label strategy and embedded inventory management systems provide a structural buffer against competitive price pressure. Maintaining this level of profitability remains critical as the company continues to scale its lower-margin Endless Assortment digital business.
Based on the provided financial figures, operating income reached $793.0 million in 2026Q1, reflecting an operating margin of 16.7% which represents a meaningful improvement over the 14.3% margin recorded in the previous quarter, indicating effective management of overhead costs relative to the recent revenue surge.
This expansion in operating margin suggests that the company is successfully leveraging its existing distribution infrastructure to handle higher volumes without a proportional increase in SG&A expenses. Such efficiency gains are essential for offsetting the potential margin dilution inherent in the company's digital-first growth initiatives.
As indicated by the 2026Q1 results, net income of $555.0 million and EPS of $11.65 reflect a strong earnings profile, though investors should note that stock-based compensation of $14.0 million remains a consistent, albeit manageable, non-cash expense impacting the bottom line across the observed ten-quarter period.
The earnings quality appears high, supported by consistent operational performance rather than non-operating items or tax anomalies. However, the volatility in EPS growth observed in 2025Q3 warrants further investigation into whether specific one-time charges or accounting adjustments may have temporarily obscured the underlying earnings trajectory.
While current margins appear robust, the ongoing shift toward the Endless Assortment segment, as evidenced by the company's strategic focus, may introduce long-term margin compression risks if the lower-margin digital business continues to outpace the high-touch segment in total revenue contribution over the coming fiscal years.
Short-term performance may mask the structural challenge of balancing a high-touch, high-margin service model with a high-volume, lower-margin e-commerce strategy. Investors should remain cautious regarding whether the company can maintain its current 40% gross margin threshold if the product mix continues to shift toward more commoditized, price-sensitive digital sales.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying GWW stock.
For fiscal year 2025, W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) reported total revenue of $17.94B. This represents a 407.2% increase compared to $3.54B in 1996.
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) is profitable, generating $1.71B in net income for the fiscal year ending 2025 with a net profit margin of 9.5%.
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) reported an operating income of $2.69B, resulting in an operating profit margin of 15.0%. This margin reflects the operational efficiency of the business before interest and taxes.
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) generated $7.01B in gross profit for the year, representing a gross profit margin of 39.1%. This demonstrates the company's core pricing power and production efficiency.