Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S)Storage ManagementHospitalityManufacturing
Description
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (Grainger) is a broad line, distributor of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products and services with operations primarily in North America, Japan, and the United Kingdom (U.K.).
In the fourth quarter of 2025, Grainger ex…
Analysis
Beloved champion
W.W. Grainger, Inc. sits in the top corner of our grid: excellent business, premium price; every investor already knows the story. Worth noting: the cash the business generates has lagged behind what the income statement shows.
On valuation, the picture is expensive. The owner-earnings multiple stands at 47.3×; owner earnings: the cash an owner could take out each year. The implied growth embedded in that price is around 18% a year, against analyst forecasts of 12%. The gap between price and consensus is worth watching: demanding expectations.
Growth is moderate; the safety picture is sturdy. The company scores 12/20 on our value-creation score: creating some value.
Flags to be aware of: Reported profits have run ahead of actual cash for several periods. As always: this describes the company's numbers; it is not a recommendation.
360° rank · history
1007550250
Jan 202358
16
2023202420252026
All-time high
58
Jan 2023
All-time low
16
Jun 2026
Average rank
29
across all years
Detailed & Historical Ranks
Deep dive into 15 detailed ranks and 3 years of history.
Current202520242023
Price/Sales
17
14
17
24
Price/Earnings
16
19
13
22
Price/Book
9
4
7
4
Dividend Yield
63
43
46
55
Value (overall)
12
5
10
11
Cells are coloured by rank band (red weak → green strong). Sentiment & 360° history begins 2023.