Which has stronger earnings & valuation, GWW or FAST?

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 W.W. Grainger $17.94B 3.63 $1.71B $37.18 37.09 Fastenal $8.44B 6.32 $1.26B $1.14 40.78

Is GWW or FAST 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 W.W. Grainger 9.70% 47.87% 21.84% Fastenal 15.39% 33.25% 25.49%

Does the media refer more to GWW or FAST?

In the previous week, Fastenal had 1 more articles in the media than W.W. Grainger. MarketBeat recorded 13 mentions for Fastenal and 12 mentions for W.W. Grainger. W.W. Grainger's average media sentiment score of 1.11 beat Fastenal's score of 0.95 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 7 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 2 Neutral mention(s) 1 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive Fastenal 6 Very Positive mention(s) 0 Positive mention(s) 5 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Does the media favor GWW or AIT?

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 6 more articles in the media than Applied Industrial Technologies. MarketBeat recorded 12 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 6 mentions for Applied Industrial Technologies. Applied Industrial Technologies' average media sentiment score of 1.60 beat W.W. Grainger's score of 1.11 indicating that Applied Industrial Technologies is being referred to more favorably in the news media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment W.W. Grainger 7 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 2 Neutral mention(s) 1 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive Applied Industrial Technologies 6 Very Positive mention(s) 0 Positive mention(s) 0 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Very Positive

Which has stronger valuation and earnings, GWW or AME?

W.W. Grainger has higher revenue and earnings than AMETEK. AMETEK 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 3.63 $1.71B $37.18 37.09 AMETEK $7.40B 7.24 $1.48B $6.62 35.32

Is GWW or AME 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 W.W. Grainger 9.70% 47.87% 21.84% AMETEK 20.11% 16.63% 11.06%

Does the media favor GWW or AME?

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 2 more articles in the media than AMETEK. MarketBeat recorded 12 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 10 mentions for AMETEK. W.W. Grainger's average media sentiment score of 1.11 beat AMETEK's score of 0.86 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 7 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 2 Neutral mention(s) 1 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive AMETEK 5 Very Positive mention(s) 2 Positive mention(s) 2 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Which has higher valuation and earnings, GGG or GWW?

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 Graco $2.24B 5.49 $521.84M $3.07 24.09 W.W. Grainger $17.94B 3.63 $1.71B $37.18 37.09

Is GGG or GWW 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 Graco 22.96% 18.66% 15.22% W.W. Grainger 9.70% 47.87% 21.84%

Does the media refer more to GGG or GWW?

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 8 more articles in the media than Graco. MarketBeat recorded 12 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 4 mentions for Graco. Graco's average media sentiment score of 1.70 beat W.W. Grainger's score of 1.11 indicating that Graco is being referred to more favorably in the media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment Graco 4 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 7 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 2 Neutral mention(s) 1 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Which has better earnings & valuation, 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 3.63 $1.71B $37.18 37.09 Hubbell $5.84B 4.44 $887.10M $16.93 29.04

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 prefer GWW or HUBB?

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 6 more articles in the media than Hubbell. MarketBeat recorded 12 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 6 mentions for Hubbell. W.W. Grainger's average media sentiment score of 1.11 beat Hubbell's score of 1.03 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 7 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 2 Neutral mention(s) 1 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive Hubbell 5 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 0 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

W.W. Grainger (GWW) Competitors

$1,379.19 +14.33 (+1.05%)

Closing price 07/10/2026 03:59 PM Eastern

Extended Trading

$1,375.76 -3.43 (-0.25%)

As of 07/10/2026 06:09 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?

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

In the previous week, Fastenal had 1 more articles in the media than W.W. Grainger. MarketBeat recorded 13 mentions for Fastenal and 12 mentions for W.W. Grainger. W.W. Grainger's average media sentiment score of 1.11 beat Fastenal's score of 0.95 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	7 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Fastenal	6 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	5 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

80.7% of W.W. Grainger shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 81.4% of Fastenal shares are held by institutional investors. 6.3% of W.W. Grainger shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of Fastenal shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

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
W.W. Grainger	9.70%	47.87%	21.84%
Fastenal	15.39%	33.25%	25.49%

W.W. Grainger has a beta of 1.03, meaning that its stock price is 3% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Fastenal has a beta of 0.72, meaning that its stock price is 28% less volatile than the broader market.

W.W. Grainger presently has a consensus price target of $1,216.44, indicating a potential downside of 11.80%. Fastenal has a consensus price target of $47.75, indicating a potential upside of 2.71%. Given Fastenal's higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Fastenal 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)	7 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.18
Fastenal	2 Sell rating(s)	8 Hold rating(s)	4 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.14

W.W. Grainger pays an annual dividend of $9.96 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. Fastenal pays an annual dividend of $0.96 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.1%. W.W. Grainger pays out 26.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. 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 has raised its dividend for 55 consecutive years and Fastenal has raised its dividend for 26 consecutive years.

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
W.W. Grainger	$17.94B	3.63	$1.71B	$37.18	37.09
Fastenal	$8.44B	6.32	$1.26B	$1.14	40.78

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?

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

W.W. Grainger has a beta of 1.03, suggesting that its stock price is 3% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Applied Industrial Technologies has a beta of 0.83, suggesting that its stock price is 17% less volatile than the broader market.

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 6 more articles in the media than Applied Industrial Technologies. MarketBeat recorded 12 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 6 mentions for Applied Industrial Technologies. Applied Industrial Technologies' average media sentiment score of 1.60 beat W.W. Grainger's score of 1.11 indicating that Applied Industrial Technologies is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
W.W. Grainger	7 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Applied Industrial Technologies	6 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 presently has a consensus target price of $1,216.44, indicating a potential downside of 11.80%. Applied Industrial Technologies has a consensus target price of $323.14, indicating a potential downside of 2.18%. Given Applied Industrial Technologies' stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Applied Industrial Technologies 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)	7 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.18
Applied Industrial Technologies	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	6 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.86

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
W.W. Grainger	9.70%	47.87%	21.84%
Applied Industrial Technologies	8.34%	21.64%	12.91%

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
W.W. Grainger	$17.94B	3.63	$1.71B	$37.18	37.09
Applied Industrial Technologies	$4.56B	2.68	$392.99M	$10.59	31.19

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

W.W. Grainger pays an annual dividend of $9.96 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. Applied Industrial Technologies pays an annual dividend of $2.04 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.6%. W.W. Grainger pays out 26.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Applied Industrial Technologies pays out 19.3% 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 Applied Industrial Technologies has increased its dividend for 16 consecutive years. W.W. Grainger is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

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?

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

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

W.W. Grainger pays an annual dividend of $9.96 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. AMETEK pays an annual dividend of $1.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.6%. W.W. Grainger pays out 26.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. AMETEK pays out 20.5% 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 raised its dividend for 55 consecutive years and AMETEK has raised its dividend for 6 consecutive years. W.W. Grainger is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 2 more articles in the media than AMETEK. MarketBeat recorded 12 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 10 mentions for AMETEK. W.W. Grainger's average media sentiment score of 1.11 beat AMETEK's score of 0.86 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	7 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
AMETEK	5 Very Positive mention(s)	2 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

W.W. Grainger presently has a consensus target price of $1,216.44, suggesting a potential downside of 11.80%. AMETEK has a consensus target price of $256.29, suggesting a potential upside of 9.59%. Given AMETEK's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe AMETEK 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)	7 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.18
AMETEK	0 Sell rating(s)	5 Hold rating(s)	9 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.73

W.W. Grainger has a beta of 1.03, suggesting that its share price is 3% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, AMETEK has a beta of 0.99, suggesting that its share price is 1% less volatile than the broader market.

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
W.W. Grainger	9.70%	47.87%	21.84%
AMETEK	20.11%	16.63%	11.06%

W.W. Grainger has higher revenue and earnings than AMETEK. AMETEK 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	3.63	$1.71B	$37.18	37.09
AMETEK	$7.40B	7.24	$1.48B	$6.62	35.32

Summary

W.W. Grainger beats AMETEK on 12 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does W.W. Grainger compare to Graco?

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

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 8 more articles in the media than Graco. MarketBeat recorded 12 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 4 mentions for Graco. Graco's average media sentiment score of 1.70 beat W.W. Grainger's score of 1.11 indicating that Graco is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Graco	4 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	7 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Graco presently has a consensus price target of $94.25, indicating a potential upside of 27.43%. W.W. Grainger has a consensus price target of $1,216.44, indicating a potential downside of 11.80%. Given Graco's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Graco is more favorable than W.W. Grainger.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Graco	0 Sell rating(s)	5 Hold rating(s)	2 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.29
W.W. Grainger	1 Sell rating(s)	7 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.18

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
Graco	$2.24B	5.49	$521.84M	$3.07	24.09
W.W. Grainger	$17.94B	3.63	$1.71B	$37.18	37.09

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

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
Graco	22.96%	18.66%	15.22%
W.W. Grainger	9.70%	47.87%	21.84%

Graco has a beta of 0.93, indicating that its stock price is 7% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, W.W. Grainger has a beta of 1.03, indicating that its stock price is 3% more volatile than the broader market.

Graco pays an annual dividend of $1.18 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.6%. W.W. Grainger pays an annual dividend of $9.96 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. Graco pays out 38.4% 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. Graco has increased its dividend for 29 consecutive years and W.W. Grainger has increased its dividend for 55 consecutive years.

Summary

W.W. Grainger beats Graco on 12 of the 19 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 stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, institutional ownership, media sentiment, valuation and earnings.

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	3.63	$1.71B	$37.18	37.09
Hubbell	$5.84B	4.44	$887.10M	$16.93	29.04

W.W. Grainger pays an annual dividend of $9.96 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. 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 raised its dividend for 55 consecutive years and Hubbell has raised its dividend for 17 consecutive years.

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%

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

W.W. Grainger presently has a consensus price target of $1,216.44, suggesting a potential downside of 11.80%. Hubbell has a consensus price target of $554.38, suggesting a potential upside of 12.77%. Given Hubbell's stronger consensus rating and higher probable 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)	7 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.18
Hubbell	0 Sell rating(s)	4 Hold rating(s)	5 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.56

W.W. Grainger has a beta of 1.03, meaning that its share price is 3% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Hubbell has a beta of 0.89, meaning that its share price is 11% less volatile than the broader market.

In the previous week, W.W. Grainger had 6 more articles in the media than Hubbell. MarketBeat recorded 12 mentions for W.W. Grainger and 6 mentions for Hubbell. W.W. Grainger's average media sentiment score of 1.11 beat Hubbell's score of 1.03 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	7 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Hubbell	5 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

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	$64.44B	$22.15B	$9.49B	$23.42B
Dividend Yield	0.73%	6.57%	3.55%	4.04%
P/E Ratio	37.09	23.87	26.96	31.40
Price / Sales	3.63	1.98	1,938.70	20.39
Price / Cash	30.10	14.25	27.38	25.05
Price / Book	15.84	3.45	4.46	4.77
Net Income	$1.71B	$712.91M	$791.21M	$1.07B
7 Day Performance	2.62%	2.37%	-0.65%	-0.50%
1 Month Performance	4.81%	-0.64%	0.61%	0.64%
1 Year Performance	30.15%	-1.59%	15.73%	16.94%

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	4.0707 of 5 stars	$1,379.19 +1.0%	$1,216.44 -11.8%	+31.4%	$64.44B	$17.94B	37.09	22,100	Positive News Analyst Upgrade
FAST Fastenal	3.9921 of 5 stars	$47.40 +0.6%	$49.57 +4.6%	+6.7%	$54.07B	$8.20B	41.58	24,489	News Coverage Upcoming Earnings Analyst Forecast
AIT Applied Industrial Technologies	4.4123 of 5 stars	$334.06 -0.9%	$323.14 -3.3%	+29.0%	$12.46B	$4.56B	31.54	6,800	Positive News
AME AMETEK	4.4288 of 5 stars	$237.52 +0.0%	$253.57 +6.8%	+28.8%	$54.44B	$7.40B	35.88	22,500	News Coverage Positive News Analyst Forecast
GGG Graco	4.9406 of 5 stars	$75.72 -0.9%	$94.25 +24.5%	-16.7%	$12.68B	$2.24B	24.66	4,400	Positive News Analyst Downgrade

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This page (NYSE:GWW) was last updated on 7/11/2026 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 refer more to GWW or FAST?

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

Is GWW or FAST more profitable?

Which has more risk & volatility, GWW or FAST?

Do analysts prefer GWW or FAST?

Is GWW or FAST a better dividend stock?

Which has stronger earnings & valuation, GWW or FAST?

Summary

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

Which has more volatility and risk, GWW or AIT?

Does the media favor GWW or AIT?

Do analysts recommend GWW or AIT?

Is GWW or AIT more profitable?

Which has better earnings & valuation, GWW or AIT?

Do insiders & institutionals believe in GWW or AIT?

Is GWW or AIT a better dividend stock?

Summary

How does W.W. Grainger compare to AMETEK?

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

Is GWW or AME a better dividend stock?

Does the media favor GWW or AME?

Do analysts rate GWW or AME?

Which has more risk & volatility, GWW or AME?

Is GWW or AME more profitable?

Which has stronger valuation and earnings, GWW or AME?

Summary

How does W.W. Grainger compare to Graco?

Does the media refer more to GGG or GWW?

Do analysts rate GGG or GWW?

Which has higher valuation and earnings, GGG or GWW?

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

Is GGG or GWW more profitable?

Which has more risk & volatility, GGG or GWW?

Is GGG or GWW a better dividend stock?

Summary

How does W.W. Grainger compare to Hubbell?

Which has better earnings & valuation, GWW or HUBB?

Is GWW or HUBB a better dividend stock?

Is GWW or HUBB more profitable?

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

Do analysts rate GWW or HUBB?

Which has more risk and volatility, GWW or HUBB?

Does the media prefer 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