W. W. Grainger (GWW) Stock Price, Fundamentals & Analysis

What GWW does

W. W. Grainger (GWW) is a US-based stock in the Industrials sector, specifically the Industrial Distribution industry. The company distributes maintenance, repair, and operating products and services primarily in North America, Japan, and the United Kingdom. It operates through two segments, High-Touch Solutions North America and Endless Assortment, covering areas such as safety, security, material handling, pumps and plumbing, cleaning and maintenance, and metalworking and hand tools. W. W. Grainger serves smaller businesses, large corporations, government entities, and institutions across commercial, healthcare, and manufacturing industries through sales representatives as well as electronic and ecommerce channels. The company was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Key numbers explained

• 1,270.67 USD is the current share price, representing the cost to buy one share today.
• The trailing P/E ratio of 32.6 shows how much investors pay per dollar of the company's last twelve months of earnings; a higher number can indicate higher growth expectations.
• The forward P/E ratio of 24.9 uses expected future earnings, offering a look at how the market values what the company may earn going forward.
• Earnings per share, trailing 12 months of 38.95 USD represents the portion of net income attributable to each outstanding share over the past year.
• The dividend yield of 0.79% indicates the annual dividend payment as a percentage of the current share price, a measure of cash income relative to price.
• Ex-dividend date of Aug 10, 2026 is the cutoff date; buyers on or after this date are not eligible for the next dividend payment.
• 24% of earnings paid out as dividends shows the share of net income the company returns to shareholders through dividends.
• Beta of 1.03 suggests the stock's price tends to move roughly in line with the overall market.
• Market cap of 59.99B USD reflects the total market value of all outstanding shares.
• Revenue, trailing 12 months of 18.84B USD shows the total sales over the past year, while revenue growth, year over year of 10.3% indicates how much that top line has increased.
• Return on equity of 46.1% measures how effectively the company generates profit from shareholders' equity.
• Debt-to-equity ratio of 62% indicates the proportion of debt financing relative to equity, a common measure of financial leverage.
• Price-to-book of 14.49 compares the market price to the company's book value per share.
• 52-week range of 906.52 – 1,419.91 shows the lowest and highest traded prices over the past year, with the current price near the upper end.
• Price change over the last 52 weeks of 33.1% reflects the total return from one year ago to today.
• Profit margin of 9.9% and operating margin of 16.1% show how much of each revenue dollar remains as profit and operating income, respectively.
• W. W. Grainger is part of the S&P 500, a broad US equity index.

Recent news

Recent headlines highlight W. W. Grainger's community efforts, such as its fifth annual Bucket Build helping communities prepare for disaster recovery, as well as its recognition among dividend stocks in "boring businesses" that customers rely on. The stock has also been discussed in the context of outperforming the Nasdaq and in industry outlook pieces that feature other industrial names like L3Harris (LHX), Union Pacific Corporation (UNP), Bloom Energy (BE), Boeing (BA), A. O. Smith (AOS), Expeditors International (EXPD), and TransDigm Group (TDG).

What to watch

Investors tracking W. W. Grainger may pay attention to factors common in industrial distribution, such as changes in business spending, supply chain conditions, and the company's ability to grow revenue while maintaining margins. Earnings reports, including the upcoming report on Nov 4, 2026, can move the stock as they provide updated views on profitability and outlook. Dividend policy, including the ex-dividend date and payout ratio, is another area of interest for income-focused investors. Broader market movements and sector trends, as reflected in indices like the S&P 500, can also influence the share price.