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ETN vs. GWW: Eaton vs. W.W. Grainger Stock Comparison

How do Eaton (ETN) and W.W. Grainger (GWW) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Eaton (ETN) and W.W. Grainger (GWW) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but ETN is classified in Electrical Equipment while GWW is classified in Trading Companies & Distributors.

Company profile comparison for Eaton (ETN) and W.W. Grainger (GWW)
Profile ItemETNGWW
NameEaton Corporation plcW.W. Grainger Inc.
Country/RegionIrelandUnited States
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCapital GoodsCapital Goods
GICS IndustryElectrical EquipmentTrading Companies & Distributors
GICS Sub-IndustryElectrical Components & EquipmentTrading Companies & Distributors
Market Capitalization132.76 billion USD67.45 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateJune 1, 1972February 21, 1973
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ETN
GWW
GSPC
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Eaton (ETN) vs. W.W. Grainger (GWW), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Eaton (ETN) and W.W. Grainger (GWW). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Eaton (ETN) and W.W. Grainger (GWW). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Eaton (ETN) and W.W. Grainger (GWW)
MetricETNGWW
Total Return (1Y)-2.33%54.07%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)19.68%24.16%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)17.50%25.95%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ETN
GWW
GSPC
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Eaton (ETN) vs. W.W. Grainger (GWW), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Eaton (ETN) and W.W. Grainger (GWW). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Eaton (ETN) and W.W. Grainger (GWW)
MetricETNGWW
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)43.57%24.49%
Beta (5Y)1.140.93
Max Drawdown (5Y)-34.46%-24.50%
Avg. Volume (3M)2.32M250.35K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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ETN and GWW are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Eaton (ETN) and W.W. Grainger (GWW)
MetricETNGWW
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.152.03
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.213.31

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both companies show strong equity returns, but W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 52.33% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Eaton (ETN) at 19.55% also sits in the top quartile.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

19.55%

Max
40.55%
ETN
19.55%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%

GWW

Capital Goods industry group

52.33%

GWW
52.33%
Max
40.55%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
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Eaton (ETN) vs. W.W. Grainger (GWW): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Eaton (ETN) at 12.18% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 11.17%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

12.18%

Max
27.47%
ETN
12.18%
Q3
12.10%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%

GWW

Capital Goods industry group

11.17%

Max
27.47%
Q3
12.10%
GWW
11.17%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%
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Eaton (ETN) vs. W.W. Grainger (GWW): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Eaton (ETN) at 17.85% and W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 16.14% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

17.85%

Max
36.60%
Q3
18.33%
ETN
17.85%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%

GWW

Capital Goods industry group

16.14%

Max
36.60%
Q3
18.33%
GWW
16.14%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%
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Eaton (ETN) vs. W.W. Grainger (GWW): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Eaton (ETN) and W.W. Grainger (GWW)
MetricETNGWW
ROE (TTM)19.55%52.33%
ROA (TTM)7.22%20.34%
Net Margin (TTM)12.18%11.17%
Operating Margin (TTM)17.85%16.14%
Gross Margin (TTM)35.16%39.43%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Eaton (ETN) at 10.33% and W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 4.51% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Eaton (ETN) vs. W.W. Grainger (GWW): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Eaton (ETN) at 10.00% and W.W. Grainger (GWW) at -8.55% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Eaton (ETN) vs. W.W. Grainger (GWW): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Eaton (ETN) and W.W. Grainger (GWW)
MetricETNGWW
Revenue Growth (YoY)10.33%4.51%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)9.77%5.62%
EPS Growth (YoY)10.00%-8.55%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)19.39%5.60%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 2.61 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Eaton (ETN) at 1.23 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for ETN.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

1.23

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
ETN
1.23
Min
0.36

GWW

Capital Goods industry group

2.61

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
GWW
2.61
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
Min
0.36
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Eaton (ETN) vs. W.W. Grainger (GWW): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Eaton (ETN) at 1.00 and W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 0.65 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

1.00

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
ETN
1.00
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00

GWW

Capital Goods industry group

0.65

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
GWW
0.65
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00
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Eaton (ETN) vs. W.W. Grainger (GWW): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Eaton (ETN) and W.W. Grainger (GWW)
MetricETNGWW
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.232.61
Debt / Equity (MRQ)1.000.65
Net Debt / EBITDA2.850.69

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Eaton (ETN) at 1.33% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 0.65% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, ETN the richer one.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

1.33%

Max
2.66%
ETN
1.33%
Q3
1.14%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

GWW

Capital Goods industry group

0.65%

Max
2.66%
Q3
1.14%
GWW
0.65%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Eaton (ETN) vs. W.W. Grainger (GWW): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 20.87% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Eaton (ETN) at 43.36% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

43.36%

Max
67.39%
ETN
43.36%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

GWW

Capital Goods industry group

20.87%

Max
67.39%
Q3
28.02%
GWW
20.87%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Eaton (ETN) vs. W.W. Grainger (GWW): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Eaton (ETN) and W.W. Grainger (GWW)
MetricETNGWW
Dividend Yield (TTM)1.33%0.65%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)43.36%20.87%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Eaton (ETN) at 34.14 and W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 31.66 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

34.14

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
ETN
34.14
Median
25.41
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03

GWW

Capital Goods industry group

31.66

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
GWW
31.66
Median
25.41
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03
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Eaton (ETN) vs. W.W. Grainger (GWW): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 3.48 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Eaton (ETN) at 4.15 sits in the pricier quartile — ETN costs more per dollar of sales.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

4.15

Max
7.54
ETN
4.15
Q3
3.76
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03

GWW

Capital Goods industry group

3.48

Max
7.54
Q3
3.76
GWW
3.48
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03
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Eaton (ETN) vs. W.W. Grainger (GWW): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both look rich against book: Eaton (ETN) at 6.33 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 15.56 prices even higher, above its industry range.

ETN

Capital Goods industry group

6.33

Max
9.66
ETN
6.33
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08

GWW

Capital Goods industry group

15.56

GWW
15.56
Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08
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Eaton (ETN) vs. W.W. Grainger (GWW): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Eaton (ETN) and W.W. Grainger (GWW)
MetricETNGWW
P/E Ratio (TTM)34.1431.66
P/S Ratio (TTM)4.153.48
P/B Ratio (MRQ)6.3315.56
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)2.29%1.97%