EMR vs. GWW: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at EMR and GWW, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | EMR | GWW |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Emerson Electric Co. | W.W. Grainger, Inc. |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Electrical Equipment | Trading Companies & Distributors |
| Market Capitalization | 73.66 billion USD | 47.81 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | June 1, 1972 | February 21, 1973 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of EMR 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.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | EMR | GWW |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | -2.59% | 2.57% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 9.46% | -9.16% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 4.46% | -2.74% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 26.05% | 4.33% |
| Month-to-Date Return | -10.05% | -3.84% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 5.62% | -5.16% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 2.99M | 0.29M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 3.16M | 0.28M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 20.65% | 26.99% |
| Beta | 1.31 | 1.20 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
EMR
13.06%
Electrical Equipment Industry
- Max
- 37.56%
- Q3
- 20.60%
- Median
- 14.38%
- Q1
- 4.35%
- Min
- 0.90%
EMR’s Return on Equity of 13.06% is on par with the norm for the Electrical Equipment industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
GWW
54.86%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 32.33%
- Q3
- 19.92%
- Median
- 14.05%
- Q1
- 11.46%
- Min
- 0.91%
GWW’s Return on Equity of 54.86% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
EMR
14.92%
Electrical Equipment Industry
- Max
- 20.43%
- Q3
- 10.97%
- Median
- 6.07%
- Q1
- 3.16%
- Min
- 0.29%
A Net Profit Margin of 14.92% places EMR in the upper quartile for the Electrical Equipment industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
GWW
10.99%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 17.73%
- Q3
- 10.81%
- Median
- 6.13%
- Q1
- 4.33%
- Min
- 2.09%
A Net Profit Margin of 10.99% places GWW in the upper quartile for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
EMR
17.42%
Electrical Equipment Industry
- Max
- 26.20%
- Q3
- 14.31%
- Median
- 7.54%
- Q1
- 3.77%
- Min
- -5.64%
An Operating Profit Margin of 17.42% places EMR in the upper quartile for the Electrical Equipment industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
GWW
15.27%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 25.50%
- Q3
- 15.13%
- Median
- 7.46%
- Q1
- 5.44%
- Min
- 3.55%
An Operating Profit Margin of 15.27% places GWW in the upper quartile for the Trading Companies & Distributors 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 | EMR | GWW |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 13.06% | 54.86% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 6.19% | 21.63% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 14.92% | 10.99% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.42% | 15.27% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 52.70% | 39.25% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
EMR
0.85
Electrical Equipment Industry
- Max
- 3.02
- Q3
- 1.99
- Median
- 1.41
- Q1
- 1.07
- Min
- 0.80
EMR’s Current Ratio of 0.85 falls into the lower quartile for the Electrical Equipment industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
GWW
2.82
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 2.82
- Q3
- 2.13
- Median
- 1.60
- Q1
- 1.43
- Min
- 0.46
GWW’s Current Ratio of 2.82 is exceptionally high, placing it well outside the typical range for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This indicates a very strong liquidity position, though such a high ratio may also suggest that the company is not using its assets efficiently to generate profits.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
EMR
0.72
Electrical Equipment Industry
- Max
- 1.44
- Q3
- 0.99
- Median
- 0.56
- Q1
- 0.24
- Min
- 0.00
EMR’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.72 is typical for the Electrical Equipment industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
GWW
0.64
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 1.88
- Q3
- 1.18
- Median
- 0.74
- Q1
- 0.54
- Min
- 0.00
GWW’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.64 is typical for the Trading Companies & Distributors 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 (TTM)
EMR
18.57
Electrical Equipment Industry
- Max
- 36.12
- Q3
- 19.29
- Median
- 9.38
- Q1
- 1.16
- Min
- -10.92
EMR’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 18.57 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Electrical Equipment industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
GWW
34.56
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 15.13
- Q3
- 7.93
- Median
- 5.75
- Q1
- 2.70
- Min
- -1.67
With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 34.56, GWW demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | EMR | GWW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.85 | 2.82 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.63 | 1.53 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.72 | 0.64 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 18.57 | 34.56 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
EMR
1.61%
Electrical Equipment Industry
- Max
- 2.20%
- Q3
- 1.53%
- Median
- 1.01%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 1.61%, EMR offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Electrical Equipment industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
GWW
0.92%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 4.99%
- Q3
- 3.04%
- Median
- 1.94%
- Q1
- 1.22%
- Min
- 0.00%
GWW’s Dividend Yield of 0.92% is in the lower quartile for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
EMR
45.06%
Electrical Equipment Industry
- Max
- 119.44%
- Q3
- 51.87%
- Median
- 27.71%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
EMR’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 45.06% is within the typical range for the Electrical Equipment industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
GWW
22.89%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 95.14%
- Q3
- 62.08%
- Median
- 51.17%
- Q1
- 26.24%
- Min
- 0.00%
GWW’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 22.89% is in the lower quartile for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | EMR | GWW |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.61% | 0.92% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 45.06% | 22.89% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
EMR
27.96
Electrical Equipment Industry
- Max
- 81.85
- Q3
- 44.17
- Median
- 27.61
- Q1
- 18.62
- Min
- 7.73
EMR’s P/E Ratio of 27.96 is within the middle range for the Electrical Equipment 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
24.84
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 48.55
- Q3
- 26.73
- Median
- 17.17
- Q1
- 10.78
- Min
- 1.62
GWW’s P/E Ratio of 24.84 is within the middle range for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
EMR
4.17
Electrical Equipment Industry
- Max
- 8.18
- Q3
- 4.02
- Median
- 1.84
- Q1
- 0.97
- Min
- 0.44
EMR’s P/S Ratio of 4.17 is in the upper echelon for the Electrical Equipment industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
GWW
2.73
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 4.88
- Q3
- 2.56
- Median
- 1.02
- Q1
- 0.60
- Min
- 0.29
GWW’s P/S Ratio of 2.73 is in the upper echelon for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
EMR
3.77
Electrical Equipment Industry
- Max
- 8.50
- Q3
- 4.53
- Median
- 3.39
- Q1
- 1.70
- Min
- 0.51
EMR’s P/B Ratio of 3.77 is within the conventional range for the Electrical Equipment industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
GWW
13.60
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 8.77
- Q3
- 4.33
- Median
- 2.00
- Q1
- 1.11
- Min
- 0.35
At 13.60, GWW’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Trading Companies & Distributors 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 | EMR | GWW |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 27.96 | 24.84 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 4.17 | 2.73 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 3.77 | 13.60 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 27.05 | 33.72 |