ALLE vs. GWW: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ALLE and GWW, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
GWW’s market capitalization of 50.46 billion USD is significantly greater than ALLE’s 12.74 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.
With betas of 1.03 for ALLE and 1.21 for GWW, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | ALLE | GWW |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Allegion plc | W.W. Grainger, Inc. |
| Country | IE | US |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | Security & Protection Services | Industrial - Distribution |
| CEO | John H. Stone | Donald G. Macpherson |
| Price | 148.11 USD | 1,050.49 USD |
| Market Cap | 12.74 billion USD | 50.46 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.03 | 1.21 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | November 18, 2013 | February 21, 1973 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ALLE and GWW by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
ALLE
40.75%
Security & Protection Services Industry
- Max
- 59.45%
- Q3
- 25.79%
- Median
- 15.13%
- Q1
- 2.33%
- Min
- -21.67%
In the upper quartile for the Security & Protection Services industry, ALLE’s Return on Equity of 40.75% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
GWW
56.10%
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 31.99%
- Q3
- 26.73%
- Median
- 19.92%
- Q1
- 10.89%
- Min
- -9.35%
GWW’s Return on Equity of 56.10% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Industrial - Distribution industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
Return on Invested Capital
ALLE
17.73%
Security & Protection Services Industry
- Max
- 25.01%
- Q3
- 14.14%
- Median
- 7.10%
- Q1
- -2.34%
- Min
- -21.32%
In the upper quartile for the Security & Protection Services industry, ALLE’s Return on Invested Capital of 17.73% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
GWW
30.61%
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 30.61%
- Q3
- 16.52%
- Median
- 12.03%
- Q1
- 6.68%
- Min
- -1.11%
In the upper quartile for the Industrial - Distribution industry, GWW’s Return on Invested Capital of 30.61% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
Net Profit Margin
ALLE
16.28%
Security & Protection Services Industry
- Max
- 25.00%
- Q3
- 15.90%
- Median
- 11.58%
- Q1
- 1.17%
- Min
- -4.29%
A Net Profit Margin of 16.28% places ALLE in the upper quartile for the Security & Protection Services industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
GWW
11.08%
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 11.08%
- Q3
- 7.38%
- Median
- 5.32%
- Q1
- 3.79%
- Min
- 0.06%
A Net Profit Margin of 11.08% places GWW in the upper quartile for the Industrial - Distribution industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin
ALLE
21.07%
Security & Protection Services Industry
- Max
- 27.64%
- Q3
- 22.23%
- Median
- 14.81%
- Q1
- 8.71%
- Min
- -4.91%
ALLE’s Operating Profit Margin of 21.07% is around the midpoint for the Security & Protection Services industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
GWW
15.31%
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 15.31%
- Q3
- 10.56%
- Median
- 8.43%
- Q1
- 5.85%
- Min
- -0.91%
An Operating Profit Margin of 15.31% places GWW in the upper quartile for the Industrial - Distribution industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ALLE | GWW |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 40.75% | 56.10% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 13.63% | 22.06% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 17.73% | 30.61% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 16.28% | 11.08% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 21.07% | 15.31% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 44.49% | 39.45% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
ALLE
2.17
Security & Protection Services Industry
- Max
- 2.94
- Q3
- 2.55
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 1.36
- Min
- 0.77
ALLE’s Current Ratio of 2.17 aligns with the median group of the Security & Protection Services industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
GWW
2.74
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 3.57
- Q3
- 2.74
- Median
- 2.29
- Q1
- 1.94
- Min
- 1.33
GWW’s Current Ratio of 2.74 is in the upper quartile for the Industrial - Distribution industry. This signifies a strong liquidity position, suggesting the company is well-equipped to cover its immediate liabilities compared to its peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
ALLE
1.24
Security & Protection Services Industry
- Max
- 2.16
- Q3
- 1.30
- Median
- 0.53
- Q1
- 0.15
- Min
- 0.03
ALLE’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.24 is typical for the Security & Protection Services industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
GWW
0.77
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 1.67
- Q3
- 1.26
- Median
- 0.77
- Q1
- 0.30
- Min
- 0.13
GWW’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.77 is typical for the Industrial - Distribution industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio
ALLE
7.76
Security & Protection Services Industry
- Max
- 11.76
- Q3
- 10.76
- Median
- 4.76
- Q1
- 1.85
- Min
- 1.60
ALLE’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.76 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Security & Protection Services industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
GWW
34.29
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 34.29
- Q3
- 28.91
- Median
- 12.63
- Q1
- 3.84
- Min
- -0.41
GWW’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 34.29 is in the upper quartile for the Industrial - Distribution industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ALLE | GWW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 2.17 | 2.74 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.51 | 1.60 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 1.24 | 0.77 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.44 | 0.31 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 1.59 | 0.71 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.76 | 34.29 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ALLE and GWW. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
ALLE
1.34%
Security & Protection Services Industry
- Max
- 11.81%
- Q3
- 1.96%
- Median
- 1.30%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ALLE’s Dividend Yield of 1.34% is consistent with its peers in the Security & Protection Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
GWW
0.80%
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 3.95%
- Q3
- 2.10%
- Median
- 0.82%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
GWW’s Dividend Yield of 0.80% is consistent with its peers in the Industrial - Distribution industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio
ALLE
27.04%
Security & Protection Services Industry
- Max
- 219.43%
- Q3
- 30.32%
- Median
- 26.81%
- Q1
- 14.53%
- Min
- 0.00%
ALLE’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 27.04% is within the typical range for the Security & Protection Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
GWW
22.57%
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 88.24%
- Q3
- 56.62%
- Median
- 19.45%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
GWW’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 22.57% is within the typical range for the Industrial - Distribution industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ALLE | GWW |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.34% | 0.80% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 27.04% | 22.57% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
ALLE
20.55
Security & Protection Services Industry
- Max
- 23.62
- Q3
- 23.52
- Median
- 21.47
- Q1
- 17.28
- Min
- 13.23
ALLE’s P/E Ratio of 20.55 is within the middle range for the Security & Protection Services industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
GWW
26.51
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 53.67
- Q3
- 39.13
- Median
- 26.86
- Q1
- 22.49
- Min
- 12.77
GWW’s P/E Ratio of 26.51 is within the middle range for the Industrial - Distribution industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
ALLE
2.13
Security & Protection Services Industry
- Max
- 2.27
- Q3
- 2.08
- Median
- 2.07
- Q1
- 0.75
- Min
- 0.22
A Forward PEG Ratio of 2.13 places ALLE in the upper quartile for the Security & Protection Services industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
GWW
2.91
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 4.88
- Q3
- 3.36
- Median
- 2.85
- Q1
- 1.53
- Min
- 0.12
GWW’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.91 is within the middle range of its peers in the Industrial - Distribution industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
ALLE
3.34
Security & Protection Services Industry
- Max
- 5.83
- Q3
- 3.54
- Median
- 2.24
- Q1
- 1.37
- Min
- 0.47
ALLE’s P/S Ratio of 3.34 aligns with the market consensus for the Security & Protection Services industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
GWW
2.93
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 2.87
- Q3
- 2.21
- Median
- 1.42
- Q1
- 0.77
- Min
- 0.17
With a P/S Ratio of 2.93, GWW trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Industrial - Distribution industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
Price-to-Book Ratio
ALLE
7.95
Security & Protection Services Industry
- Max
- 11.67
- Q3
- 7.86
- Median
- 4.17
- Q1
- 2.20
- Min
- 0.79
ALLE’s P/B Ratio of 7.95 is in the upper tier for the Security & Protection Services industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
GWW
14.55
Industrial - Distribution Industry
- Max
- 13.04
- Q3
- 7.19
- Median
- 3.64
- Q1
- 2.91
- Min
- 0.74
At 14.55, GWW’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Industrial - Distribution industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ALLE | GWW |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 20.55 | 26.51 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.13 | 2.91 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.34 | 2.93 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 7.95 | 14.55 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 19.86 | 32.58 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 15.07 | 18.49 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.73 | 3.04 |