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GWW vs. HWM: W.W. Grainger vs. Howmet Aerospace Stock Comparison

How do W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) 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

W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but GWW is classified in Trading Companies & Distributors while HWM is classified in Aerospace & Defense.

Company profile comparison for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
Profile ItemGWWHWM
NameW.W. Grainger Inc.Howmet Aerospace Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCapital GoodsCapital Goods
GICS IndustryTrading Companies & DistributorsAerospace & Defense
GICS Sub-IndustryTrading Companies & DistributorsAerospace & Defense
Market Capitalization67.45 billion USD81.84 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateFebruary 21, 1973November 1, 2016
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

GWW
HWM
GSPC
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM), 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 W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
MetricGWWHWM
Total Return (1Y)54.07%5.06%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)24.16%64.83%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)25.95%46.04%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

GWW
HWM
GSPC
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM), 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 W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
MetricGWWHWM
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)24.49%37.60%
Beta (5Y)0.931.27
Max Drawdown (5Y)-24.50%-36.47%
Avg. Volume (3M)250.35K3.47M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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GWW and HWM 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 W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
MetricGWWHWM
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)2.030.02
Sortino Ratio (1Y)3.310.03

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; Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 37.65% also sits in the top quartile.

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%

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

37.65%

Max
40.55%
HWM
37.65%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 21.10% 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.

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%

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

21.10%

Max
27.47%
HWM
21.10%
Q3
12.10%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 28.78% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 16.14%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

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%

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

28.78%

Max
36.60%
HWM
28.78%
Q3
18.33%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
MetricGWWHWM
ROE (TTM)52.33%37.65%
ROA (TTM)20.34%13.97%
Net Margin (TTM)11.17%21.10%
Operating Margin (TTM)16.14%28.78%
Gross Margin (TTM)39.43%36.63%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 4.51% and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 11.06% 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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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 32.03% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while W.W. Grainger (GWW) at -8.55% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for HWM.

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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
MetricGWWHWM
Revenue Growth (YoY)4.51%11.06%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)5.62%13.37%
EPS Growth (YoY)-8.55%32.03%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)5.60%49.51%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 2.61 and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 1.86 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.

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

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

1.86

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
HWM
1.86
Q1
1.43
Min
0.36
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 0.65 and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 0.80 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

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

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

0.80

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
HWM
0.80
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
MetricGWWHWM
Current Ratio (MRQ)2.611.86
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.650.80
Net Debt / EBITDA0.691.35

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 0.65% and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 0.25% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.

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%

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

0.25%

Max
2.66%
Q3
1.14%
HWM
0.25%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 20.87% and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 9.80% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

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%

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

9.80%

Max
67.39%
Q3
28.02%
HWM
9.80%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
MetricGWWHWM
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.65%0.25%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)20.87%9.80%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 31.66 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 40.35 sits in the richer quartile — HWM needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

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

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

40.35

Max
59.38
HWM
40.35
Q3
35.92
Median
25.41
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): 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 prices around its industry’s typical P/S ratio, while Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 8.41 clears its benchmark range — HWM looks notably rich on sales.

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

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

8.41

HWM
8.41
Max
7.54
Q3
3.76
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Measured against book value, both W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 15.56 and Howmet Aerospace (HWM) at 14.20 look expensive — each P/B ratio sits above its industry’s benchmark range.

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

HWM

Capital Goods industry group

14.20

HWM
14.20
Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Howmet Aerospace (HWM): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Howmet Aerospace (HWM)
MetricGWWHWM
P/E Ratio (TTM)31.6640.35
P/S Ratio (TTM)3.488.41
P/B Ratio (MRQ)15.5614.20
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)1.97%1.58%