Seek Returns

GWW vs. ITT: W.W. Grainger vs. ITT Stock Comparison

How do W.W. Grainger (GWW) and ITT (ITT) 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 ITT (ITT) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but GWW is classified in Trading Companies & Distributors while ITT is classified in Machinery.

Company profile comparison for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and ITT (ITT)
Profile ItemGWWITT
NameW.W. Grainger Inc.ITT Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCapital GoodsCapital Goods
GICS IndustryTrading Companies & DistributorsMachinery
GICS Sub-IndustryTrading Companies & DistributorsIndustrial Machinery & Supplies & Components
Market Capitalization67.45 billion USD18.34 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateFebruary 21, 1973December 15, 1995
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

GWW
ITT
GSPC
Loading price history…
W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. ITT (ITT), 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

Loading price history…
Trailing total returns for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and ITT (ITT). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

Loading price history…
Calendar-year total returns for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and ITT (ITT). 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 ITT (ITT)
MetricGWWITT
Total Return (1Y)54.07%16.96%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)24.16%30.67%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)25.95%17.16%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

GWW
ITT
GSPC
Loading price history…
W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. ITT (ITT), 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

Loading price history…
Distribution of monthly total returns for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and ITT (ITT). 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 ITT (ITT)
MetricGWWITT
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)24.49%32.39%
Beta (5Y)0.931.22
Max Drawdown (5Y)-24.50%-37.97%
Avg. Volume (3M)250.35K787.73K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Loading chart…
GWW and ITT 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 ITT (ITT)
MetricGWWITT
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)2.030.39
Sortino Ratio (1Y)3.310.59

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 52.33% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than ITT (ITT) at 11.36%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

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%

ITT

Capital Goods industry group

11.36%

Max
40.55%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
ITT
11.36%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
Loading chart…
W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. ITT (ITT): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 11.17% and ITT (ITT) at 8.07% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.

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%

ITT

Capital Goods industry group

8.07%

Max
27.47%
Q3
12.10%
ITT
8.07%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%
Loading chart…
W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. ITT (ITT): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 16.14% and ITT (ITT) at 16.49% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

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%

ITT

Capital Goods industry group

16.49%

Max
36.60%
Q3
18.33%
ITT
16.49%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%
Loading chart…
W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. ITT (ITT): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and ITT (ITT)
MetricGWWITT
ROE (TTM)52.33%11.36%
ROA (TTM)20.34%6.46%
Net Margin (TTM)11.17%8.07%
Operating Margin (TTM)16.14%16.49%
Gross Margin (TTM)39.43%35.70%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 4.51% and ITT (ITT) at 8.48% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Loading chart…
W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. ITT (ITT): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both W.W. Grainger (GWW) at -8.55% and ITT (ITT) at -3.02% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Loading chart…
W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. ITT (ITT): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and ITT (ITT)
MetricGWWITT
Revenue Growth (YoY)4.51%8.48%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)5.62%9.65%
EPS Growth (YoY)-8.55%-3.02%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)5.60%11.73%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 2.61 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while ITT (ITT) at 1.29 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for ITT.

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

ITT

Capital Goods industry group

1.29

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
ITT
1.29
Min
0.36
Loading chart…
W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. ITT (ITT): 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 ITT (ITT) at 0.76 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

ITT

Capital Goods industry group

0.76

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
ITT
0.76
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00
Loading chart…
W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. ITT (ITT): 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 ITT (ITT)
MetricGWWITT
Current Ratio (MRQ)2.611.29
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.650.76
Net Debt / EBITDA0.692.80

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 0.65% and ITT (ITT) at 0.77% 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%

ITT

Capital Goods industry group

0.77%

Max
2.66%
Q3
1.14%
ITT
0.77%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
Loading chart…
W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. ITT (ITT): 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 ITT (ITT) at 31.06% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

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%

ITT

Capital Goods industry group

31.06%

Max
67.39%
ITT
31.06%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
Loading chart…
W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. ITT (ITT): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and ITT (ITT)
MetricGWWITT
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.65%0.77%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)20.87%31.06%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 31.66 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while ITT (ITT) at 42.29 sits in the richer quartile — ITT 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

ITT

Capital Goods industry group

42.29

Max
59.38
ITT
42.29
Q3
35.92
Median
25.41
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03
Loading chart…
W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. ITT (ITT): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 3.48 and ITT (ITT) at 3.54 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

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

ITT

Capital Goods industry group

3.54

Max
7.54
Q3
3.76
ITT
3.54
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03
Loading chart…
W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. ITT (ITT): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

ITT (ITT) at 3.85 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 15.56 prices above its benchmark range — GWW looks rich relative to book.

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

ITT

Capital Goods industry group

3.85

Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
ITT
3.85
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08
Loading chart…
W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. ITT (ITT): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and ITT (ITT)
MetricGWWITT
P/E Ratio (TTM)31.6642.29
P/S Ratio (TTM)3.483.54
P/B Ratio (MRQ)15.563.85
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)1.97%2.63%