Which has stronger valuation & earnings, FAST or GWW?

W.W. Grainger has higher revenue and earnings than Fastenal. W.W. Grainger is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Fastenal, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Company Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Fastenal $8.20B 6.19 $1.26B $1.14 38.77 W.W. Grainger $17.94B 3.25 $1.71B $37.18 33.19

Is FAST or GWW more profitable?

Fastenal has a net margin of 15.39% compared to W.W. Grainger's net margin of 9.70%. W.W. Grainger's return on equity of 47.87% beat Fastenal's return on equity. Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Fastenal 15.39% 33.25% 25.49% W.W. Grainger 9.70% 47.87% 21.84%

Does the media favor FAST or GWW?

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 10 more articles in the media than Fastenal. MarketBeat recorded 20 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 10 mentions for Fastenal. W.W. Grainger's average media sentiment score of 1.27 beat Fastenal's score of 1.23 indicating that W.W. Grainger is being referred to more favorably in the news media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment Fastenal 6 Very Positive mention(s) 0 Positive mention(s) 3 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive W.W. Grainger 13 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 3 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Does the media favor AIT or GWW?

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 17 more articles in the media than Applied Industrial Technologies. MarketBeat recorded 20 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 3 mentions for Applied Industrial Technologies. Applied Industrial Technologies' average media sentiment score of 1.73 beat W.W. Grainger's score of 1.27 indicating that Applied Industrial Technologies is being referred to more favorably in the media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment Applied Industrial Technologies 3 Very Positive mention(s) 0 Positive mention(s) 0 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Very Positive W.W. Grainger 13 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 3 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Which has higher valuation and earnings, AME or GWW?

W.W. Grainger has higher revenue and earnings than AMETEK. W.W. Grainger is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than AMETEK, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Company Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio AMETEK $7.40B 7.00 $1.48B $6.62 34.16 W.W. Grainger $17.94B 3.25 $1.71B $37.18 33.19

Is AME or GWW more profitable?

AMETEK has a net margin of 20.11% compared to W.W. Grainger's net margin of 9.70%. W.W. Grainger's return on equity of 47.87% beat AMETEK's return on equity. Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets AMETEK 20.11% 16.63% 11.06% W.W. Grainger 9.70% 47.87% 21.84%

Does the media prefer AME or GWW?

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 5 more articles in the media than AMETEK. MarketBeat recorded 20 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 15 mentions for AMETEK. AMETEK's average media sentiment score of 1.30 beat W.W. Grainger's score of 1.27 indicating that AMETEK is being referred to more favorably in the media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment AMETEK 12 Very Positive mention(s) 0 Positive mention(s) 2 Neutral mention(s) 1 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive W.W. Grainger 13 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 3 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Which has better earnings & valuation, GWW or GGG?

W.W. Grainger has higher revenue and earnings than Graco. Graco is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than W.W. Grainger, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Company Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio W.W. Grainger $17.94B 3.25 $1.71B $37.18 33.19 Graco $2.24B 5.60 $521.84M $3.07 24.60

Is GWW or GGG more profitable?

Graco has a net margin of 22.96% compared to W.W. Grainger's net margin of 9.70%. W.W. Grainger's return on equity of 47.87% beat Graco's return on equity. Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets W.W. Grainger 9.70% 47.87% 21.84% Graco 22.96% 18.66% 15.22%

Does the media favor GWW or GGG?

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 16 more articles in the media than Graco. MarketBeat recorded 20 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 4 mentions for Graco. W.W. Grainger's average media sentiment score of 1.27 beat Graco's score of 0.60 indicating that W.W. Grainger is being referred to more favorably in the media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment W.W. Grainger 13 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 3 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive Graco 1 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 2 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Which has stronger valuation and earnings, GWW or HUBB?

W.W. Grainger has higher revenue and earnings than Hubbell. Hubbell is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than W.W. Grainger, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Company Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio W.W. Grainger $17.94B 3.25 $1.71B $37.18 33.19 Hubbell $5.84B 4.28 $887.10M $16.93 27.96

Is GWW or HUBB more profitable?

Hubbell has a net margin of 15.10% compared to W.W. Grainger's net margin of 9.70%. W.W. Grainger's return on equity of 47.87% beat Hubbell's return on equity. Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets W.W. Grainger 9.70% 47.87% 21.84% Hubbell 15.10% 27.09% 12.82%

Does the media favor GWW or HUBB?

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 14 more articles in the media than Hubbell. MarketBeat recorded 20 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 6 mentions for Hubbell. W.W. Grainger's average media sentiment score of 1.27 beat Hubbell's score of 1.01 indicating that W.W. Grainger is being referred to more favorably in the media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment W.W. Grainger 13 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 3 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive Hubbell 3 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 2 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

W.W. Grainger (GWW) Competitors

$1,234.01 -0.23 (-0.02%)

Closing price 05/29/2026 03:59 PM Eastern

Extended Trading

$1,234.31 +0.30 (+0.02%)

As of 05/29/2026 05:30 PM Eastern

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GWW vs. FAST, AIT, AME, GGG, and HUBB

Should you buy W.W. Grainger stock or one of its competitors? MarketBeat compares W.W. Grainger with other companies and stocks that may be similar based on industry, sector, market capitalization, business model, investor interest, or shared news coverage. Companies and stocks commonly compared with W.W. Grainger include Fastenal (FAST), Applied Industrial Technologies (AIT), AMETEK (AME), Graco (GGG), and Hubbell (HUBB).

How does W.W. Grainger compare to Fastenal?

Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) and W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) are both large-cap trading companies & distributors companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings, risk, media sentiment and valuation.

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 10 more articles in the media than Fastenal. MarketBeat recorded 20 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 10 mentions for Fastenal. W.W. Grainger's average media sentiment score of 1.27 beat Fastenal's score of 1.23 indicating that W.W. Grainger is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Fastenal	6 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
W.W. Grainger	13 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Fastenal has a beta of 0.73, indicating that its stock price is 27% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, W.W. Grainger has a beta of 1.04, indicating that its stock price is 4% more volatile than the broader market.

W.W. Grainger has higher revenue and earnings than Fastenal. W.W. Grainger is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Fastenal, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Fastenal	$8.20B	6.19	$1.26B	$1.14	38.77
W.W. Grainger	$17.94B	3.25	$1.71B	$37.18	33.19

81.4% of Fastenal shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 80.7% of W.W. Grainger shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.3% of Fastenal shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 6.3% of W.W. Grainger shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Fastenal presently has a consensus target price of $49.77, indicating a potential upside of 12.60%. W.W. Grainger has a consensus target price of $1,212.88, indicating a potential downside of 1.71%. Given Fastenal's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Fastenal is more favorable than W.W. Grainger.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Fastenal	2 Sell rating(s)	6 Hold rating(s)	5 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.23
W.W. Grainger	1 Sell rating(s)	5 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.22

Fastenal has a net margin of 15.39% compared to W.W. Grainger's net margin of 9.70%. W.W. Grainger's return on equity of 47.87% beat Fastenal's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Fastenal	15.39%	33.25%	25.49%
W.W. Grainger	9.70%	47.87%	21.84%

Fastenal pays an annual dividend of $0.96 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.2%. W.W. Grainger pays an annual dividend of $9.96 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.8%. Fastenal pays out 84.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. W.W. Grainger pays out 26.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Fastenal has raised its dividend for 26 consecutive years and W.W. Grainger has raised its dividend for 55 consecutive years.

Summary

W.W. Grainger beats Fastenal on 10 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does W.W. Grainger compare to Applied Industrial Technologies?

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT) and W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) are both large-cap industrials companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, media sentiment, institutional ownership and profitability.

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 17 more articles in the media than Applied Industrial Technologies. MarketBeat recorded 20 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 3 mentions for Applied Industrial Technologies. Applied Industrial Technologies' average media sentiment score of 1.73 beat W.W. Grainger's score of 1.27 indicating that Applied Industrial Technologies is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Applied Industrial Technologies	3 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Very Positive
W.W. Grainger	13 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Applied Industrial Technologies presently has a consensus price target of $313.67, suggesting a potential upside of 3.18%. W.W. Grainger has a consensus price target of $1,212.88, suggesting a potential downside of 1.71%. Given Applied Industrial Technologies' stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe Applied Industrial Technologies is more favorable than W.W. Grainger.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Applied Industrial Technologies	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	5 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.83
W.W. Grainger	1 Sell rating(s)	5 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.22

93.5% of Applied Industrial Technologies shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 80.7% of W.W. Grainger shares are held by institutional investors. 1.6% of Applied Industrial Technologies shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 6.3% of W.W. Grainger shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Applied Industrial Technologies pays an annual dividend of $2.04 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. W.W. Grainger pays an annual dividend of $9.96 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.8%. Applied Industrial Technologies pays out 19.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. W.W. Grainger pays out 26.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Applied Industrial Technologies has raised its dividend for 16 consecutive years and W.W. Grainger has raised its dividend for 55 consecutive years. W.W. Grainger is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

W.W. Grainger has higher revenue and earnings than Applied Industrial Technologies. Applied Industrial Technologies is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than W.W. Grainger, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Applied Industrial Technologies	$4.56B	2.46	$392.99M	$10.59	28.71
W.W. Grainger	$17.94B	3.25	$1.71B	$37.18	33.19

W.W. Grainger has a net margin of 9.70% compared to Applied Industrial Technologies' net margin of 8.34%. W.W. Grainger's return on equity of 47.87% beat Applied Industrial Technologies' return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Applied Industrial Technologies	8.34%	21.64%	12.91%
W.W. Grainger	9.70%	47.87%	21.84%

Applied Industrial Technologies has a beta of 0.84, indicating that its share price is 16% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, W.W. Grainger has a beta of 1.04, indicating that its share price is 4% more volatile than the broader market.

Summary

W.W. Grainger beats Applied Industrial Technologies on 13 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does W.W. Grainger compare to AMETEK?

AMETEK (NYSE:AME) and W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) are related large-cap companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, institutional ownership, dividends, earnings, profitability, media sentiment, analyst recommendations and risk.

AMETEK presently has a consensus price target of $252.33, indicating a potential upside of 11.59%. W.W. Grainger has a consensus price target of $1,212.88, indicating a potential downside of 1.71%. Given AMETEK's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts clearly believe AMETEK is more favorable than W.W. Grainger.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
AMETEK	0 Sell rating(s)	4 Hold rating(s)	9 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.79
W.W. Grainger	1 Sell rating(s)	5 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.22

87.4% of AMETEK shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 80.7% of W.W. Grainger shares are held by institutional investors. 0.5% of AMETEK shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 6.3% of W.W. Grainger shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

AMETEK has a beta of 1, meaning that its stock price has a similar volatility profile to the broader market.Comparatively, W.W. Grainger has a beta of 1.04, meaning that its stock price is 4% more volatile than the broader market.

AMETEK pays an annual dividend of $1.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.6%. W.W. Grainger pays an annual dividend of $9.96 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.8%. AMETEK pays out 20.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. W.W. Grainger pays out 26.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. AMETEK has increased its dividend for 6 consecutive years and W.W. Grainger has increased its dividend for 55 consecutive years. W.W. Grainger is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

W.W. Grainger has higher revenue and earnings than AMETEK. W.W. Grainger is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than AMETEK, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
AMETEK	$7.40B	7.00	$1.48B	$6.62	34.16
W.W. Grainger	$17.94B	3.25	$1.71B	$37.18	33.19

AMETEK has a net margin of 20.11% compared to W.W. Grainger's net margin of 9.70%. W.W. Grainger's return on equity of 47.87% beat AMETEK's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
AMETEK	20.11%	16.63%	11.06%
W.W. Grainger	9.70%	47.87%	21.84%

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 5 more articles in the media than AMETEK. MarketBeat recorded 20 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 15 mentions for AMETEK. AMETEK's average media sentiment score of 1.30 beat W.W. Grainger's score of 1.27 indicating that AMETEK is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
AMETEK	12 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
W.W. Grainger	13 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Summary

AMETEK and W.W. Grainger tied by winning 10 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does W.W. Grainger compare to Graco?

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) and Graco (NYSE:GGG) are both large-cap industrials companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations, media sentiment, earnings and institutional ownership.

W.W. Grainger pays an annual dividend of $9.96 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.8%. Graco pays an annual dividend of $1.18 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.6%. W.W. Grainger pays out 26.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Graco pays out 38.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. W.W. Grainger has increased its dividend for 55 consecutive years and Graco has increased its dividend for 29 consecutive years.

80.7% of W.W. Grainger shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 93.9% of Graco shares are held by institutional investors. 6.3% of W.W. Grainger shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 2.2% of Graco shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

W.W. Grainger has a beta of 1.04, suggesting that its stock price is 4% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Graco has a beta of 0.93, suggesting that its stock price is 7% less volatile than the broader market.

W.W. Grainger presently has a consensus target price of $1,212.88, suggesting a potential downside of 1.71%. Graco has a consensus target price of $94.25, suggesting a potential upside of 24.80%. Given Graco's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Graco is more favorable than W.W. Grainger.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
W.W. Grainger	1 Sell rating(s)	5 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.22
Graco	0 Sell rating(s)	4 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.43

Graco has a net margin of 22.96% compared to W.W. Grainger's net margin of 9.70%. W.W. Grainger's return on equity of 47.87% beat Graco's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
W.W. Grainger	9.70%	47.87%	21.84%
Graco	22.96%	18.66%	15.22%

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 16 more articles in the media than Graco. MarketBeat recorded 20 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 4 mentions for Graco. W.W. Grainger's average media sentiment score of 1.27 beat Graco's score of 0.60 indicating that W.W. Grainger is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
W.W. Grainger	13 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Graco	1 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

W.W. Grainger has higher revenue and earnings than Graco. Graco is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than W.W. Grainger, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
W.W. Grainger	$17.94B	3.25	$1.71B	$37.18	33.19
Graco	$2.24B	5.60	$521.84M	$3.07	24.60

Summary

W.W. Grainger beats Graco on 12 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does W.W. Grainger compare to Hubbell?

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) and Hubbell (NYSE:HUBB) are both large-cap industrials companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their media sentiment, risk, valuation, profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings and institutional ownership.

W.W. Grainger currently has a consensus price target of $1,212.88, suggesting a potential downside of 1.71%. Hubbell has a consensus price target of $546.25, suggesting a potential upside of 15.41%. Given Hubbell's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Hubbell is more favorable than W.W. Grainger.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
W.W. Grainger	1 Sell rating(s)	5 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.22
Hubbell	0 Sell rating(s)	4 Hold rating(s)	5 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.56

80.7% of W.W. Grainger shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 88.2% of Hubbell shares are owned by institutional investors. 6.3% of W.W. Grainger shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.6% of Hubbell shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Hubbell has a net margin of 15.10% compared to W.W. Grainger's net margin of 9.70%. W.W. Grainger's return on equity of 47.87% beat Hubbell's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
W.W. Grainger	9.70%	47.87%	21.84%
Hubbell	15.10%	27.09%	12.82%

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 14 more articles in the media than Hubbell. MarketBeat recorded 20 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 6 mentions for Hubbell. W.W. Grainger's average media sentiment score of 1.27 beat Hubbell's score of 1.01 indicating that W.W. Grainger is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
W.W. Grainger	13 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Hubbell	3 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

W.W. Grainger has a beta of 1.04, suggesting that its stock price is 4% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Hubbell has a beta of 0.91, suggesting that its stock price is 9% less volatile than the broader market.

W.W. Grainger pays an annual dividend of $9.96 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.8%. Hubbell pays an annual dividend of $5.68 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.2%. W.W. Grainger pays out 26.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Hubbell pays out 33.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. W.W. Grainger has increased its dividend for 55 consecutive years and Hubbell has increased its dividend for 17 consecutive years.

W.W. Grainger has higher revenue and earnings than Hubbell. Hubbell is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than W.W. Grainger, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
W.W. Grainger	$17.94B	3.25	$1.71B	$37.18	33.19
Hubbell	$5.84B	4.28	$887.10M	$16.93	27.96

Summary

W.W. Grainger beats Hubbell on 12 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.

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New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

This chart shows the number of new MarketBeat users adding GWW and its top 5 competitors to their watchlist. Each company is represented with a line over a 90 day period.

Media Sentiment Over Time

This chart shows the average media sentiment of NYSE and its competitors over the past 90 days as caculated by MarketBeat. The averaged score is equivalent to the following: Very Negative Sentiment <= -1.5, Negative Sentiment > -1.5 and <= -0.5, Neutral Sentiment > -0.5 and < 0.5, Positive Sentiment >= 0.5 and < 1.5, and Very Positive Sentiment >= 1.5.

GWW vs. The Competition

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Metric	W.W. Grainger	Industrial Services Industry	Industrials Sector	NYSE Exchange
Market Cap	$58.26B	$22.02B	$9.51B	$23.18B
Dividend Yield	0.81%	6.35%	3.52%	4.09%
P/E Ratio	33.19	22.66	25.32	30.62
Price / Sales	3.25	2.53	5,121.64	24.75
Price / Cash	27.22	13.63	27.72	19.43
Price / Book	14.17	3.58	5.17	4.70
Net Income	$1.71B	$712.91M	$794.25M	$1.07B
7 Day Performance	-1.12%	1.03%	1.62%	1.14%
1 Month Performance	N/A	N/A	N/A	1.58%
1 Year Performance	13.56%	12.07%	32.68%	28.06%

W.W. Grainger Competitors List

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Company	MarketRank	Share Price	Analysts' Price Target	1Y Price Performance	Market Cap	Revenue	P/E Ratio	Employee Count	Indicator(s)
GWW W.W. Grainger	3.3132 of 5 stars	$1,234.01 0.0%	$1,212.88 -1.7%	+13.6%	$58.26B	$17.94B	33.19	22,100	Positive News
FAST Fastenal	4.1554 of 5 stars	$43.94 flat	$49.77 +13.3%	+7.0%	$50.44B	$8.20B	38.54	24,489	Positive News
AIT Applied Industrial Technologies	3.5832 of 5 stars	$307.39 +0.1%	$313.67 +2.0%	+34.0%	$11.35B	$4.56B	29.03	6,800	Positive News
AME AMETEK	4.5416 of 5 stars	$224.75 +0.1%	$252.33 +12.3%	+26.4%	$51.46B	$7.40B	33.95	22,500	Positive News
GGG Graco	4.8453 of 5 stars	$75.69 +0.1%	$94.25 +24.5%	-10.8%	$12.55B	$2.24B	24.65	4,400

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This page (NYSE:GWW) was last updated on 6/1/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.

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W.W. Grainger (GWW) Competitors

GWW vs. FAST, AIT, AME, GGG, and HUBB

How does W.W. Grainger compare to Fastenal?

Summary

How does W.W. Grainger compare to Applied Industrial Technologies?

Summary

How does W.W. Grainger compare to AMETEK?

Summary

How does W.W. Grainger compare to Graco?

Summary

How does W.W. Grainger compare to Hubbell?

Summary

New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

Media Sentiment Over Time

GWW vs. The Competition

W.W. Grainger Competitors List

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W.W. Grainger (GWW) Competitors

GWW vs. FAST, AIT, AME, GGG, and HUBB

How does W.W. Grainger compare to Fastenal?

Does the media favor FAST or GWW?

Which has more risk & volatility, FAST or GWW?

Which has stronger valuation & earnings, FAST or GWW?

Do institutionals & insiders believe in FAST or GWW?

Do analysts recommend FAST or GWW?

Is FAST or GWW more profitable?

Is FAST or GWW a better dividend stock?

Summary

How does W.W. Grainger compare to Applied Industrial Technologies?

Does the media favor AIT or GWW?

Do analysts rate AIT or GWW?

Do institutionals & insiders have more ownership in AIT or GWW?

Is AIT or GWW a better dividend stock?

Which has preferable earnings & valuation, AIT or GWW?

Is AIT or GWW more profitable?

Which has more risk and volatility, AIT or GWW?

Summary

How does W.W. Grainger compare to AMETEK?

Do analysts prefer AME or GWW?

Do insiders & institutionals believe in AME or GWW?

Which has more volatility and risk, AME or GWW?

Is AME or GWW a better dividend stock?

Which has higher valuation and earnings, AME or GWW?

Is AME or GWW more profitable?

Does the media prefer AME or GWW?

Summary

How does W.W. Grainger compare to Graco?

Is GWW or GGG a better dividend stock?

Do insiders and institutionals hold more shares of GWW or GGG?

Which has more volatility & risk, GWW or GGG?

Do analysts prefer GWW or GGG?

Is GWW or GGG more profitable?

Does the media favor GWW or GGG?

Which has better earnings & valuation, GWW or GGG?

Summary

How does W.W. Grainger compare to Hubbell?

Do analysts prefer GWW or HUBB?

Do institutionals & insiders have more ownership in GWW or HUBB?

Is GWW or HUBB more profitable?

Does the media favor GWW or HUBB?

Which has more volatility & risk, GWW or HUBB?

Is GWW or HUBB a better dividend stock?

Which has stronger valuation and earnings, GWW or HUBB?

Summary

New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

Media Sentiment Over Time

GWW vs. The Competition

W.W. Grainger Competitors List

Related Companies and Tools

MarketBeat All Access Features

Best-in-Class Portfolio Monitoring

Stock Ideas and Recommendations

Advanced Stock Screeners and Research Tools