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GWW vs. JCI: W.W. Grainger vs. Johnson Controls Stock Comparison

How do W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Johnson Controls (JCI) 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 Johnson Controls (JCI) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but GWW is classified in Trading Companies & Distributors while JCI is classified in Building Products.

Company profile comparison for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Johnson Controls (JCI)
Profile ItemGWWJCI
NameW.W. Grainger Inc.Johnson Controls International plc
Country/RegionUnited StatesIreland
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCapital GoodsCapital Goods
GICS IndustryTrading Companies & DistributorsBuilding Products
GICS Sub-IndustryTrading Companies & DistributorsBuilding Products
Market Capitalization67.45 billion USD81.79 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateFebruary 21, 1973September 28, 1987
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

GWW
JCI
GSPC
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Johnson Controls (JCI), 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 Johnson Controls (JCI). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Johnson Controls (JCI). 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 Johnson Controls (JCI)
MetricGWWJCI
Total Return (1Y)54.07%17.11%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)24.16%43.46%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)25.95%15.29%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

GWW
JCI
GSPC
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Johnson Controls (JCI), 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 Johnson Controls (JCI). 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 Johnson Controls (JCI)
MetricGWWJCI
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)24.49%32.91%
Beta (5Y)0.931.29
Max Drawdown (5Y)-24.50%-42.32%
Avg. Volume (3M)250.35K3.57M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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GWW and JCI 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 Johnson Controls (JCI)
MetricGWWJCI
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)2.030.39
Sortino Ratio (1Y)3.310.54

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; Johnson Controls (JCI) at 21.73% 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%

JCI

Capital Goods industry group

21.73%

Max
40.55%
JCI
21.73%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Johnson Controls (JCI): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 11.17% and Johnson Controls (JCI) at 11.12% 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%

JCI

Capital Goods industry group

11.12%

Max
27.47%
Q3
12.10%
JCI
11.12%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Johnson Controls (JCI): 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 Johnson Controls (JCI) at 17.21% 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%

JCI

Capital Goods industry group

17.21%

Max
36.60%
Q3
18.33%
JCI
17.21%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Johnson Controls (JCI): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Johnson Controls (JCI)
MetricGWWJCI
ROE (TTM)52.33%21.73%
ROA (TTM)20.34%6.41%
Net Margin (TTM)11.17%11.12%
Operating Margin (TTM)16.14%17.21%
Gross Margin (TTM)39.43%37.07%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 4.51% and Johnson Controls (JCI) at 2.81% 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. Johnson Controls (JCI): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Johnson Controls (JCI) at 99.60% 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 JCI.

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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Johnson Controls (JCI): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Johnson Controls (JCI)
MetricGWWJCI
Revenue Growth (YoY)4.51%2.81%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)5.62%4.57%
EPS Growth (YoY)-8.55%99.60%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)5.60%31.94%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 2.61 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Johnson Controls (JCI) at 0.90 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for JCI.

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

JCI

Capital Goods industry group

0.90

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
JCI
0.90
Min
0.36
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Johnson Controls (JCI): 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 Johnson Controls (JCI) at 0.68 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

JCI

Capital Goods industry group

0.68

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
JCI
0.68
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Johnson Controls (JCI): 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 Johnson Controls (JCI)
MetricGWWJCI
Current Ratio (MRQ)2.610.90
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.650.68
Net Debt / EBITDA0.691.86

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Johnson Controls (JCI) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile W.W. Grainger (GWW) reports a yield of 0.65%, ranking against industry peers normally.

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%

JCI

Capital Goods industry group

0.00%

Max
2.66%
Q3
1.14%
Median
0.24%
JCI
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Johnson Controls (JCI): 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 Johnson Controls (JCI) at 45.20% 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%

JCI

Capital Goods industry group

45.20%

Max
67.39%
JCI
45.20%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Johnson Controls (JCI): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Johnson Controls (JCI)
MetricGWWJCI
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.65%0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)20.87%45.20%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 31.66 and Johnson Controls (JCI) at 28.61 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

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

JCI

Capital Goods industry group

28.61

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
JCI
28.61
Median
25.41
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Johnson Controls (JCI): 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 Johnson Controls (JCI) at 3.19 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

JCI

Capital Goods industry group

3.19

Max
7.54
Q3
3.76
JCI
3.19
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Johnson Controls (JCI): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both look rich against book: Johnson Controls (JCI) at 5.99 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and W.W. Grainger (GWW) at 15.56 prices even higher, above its industry 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

JCI

Capital Goods industry group

5.99

Max
9.66
JCI
5.99
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08
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W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Johnson Controls (JCI): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for W.W. Grainger (GWW) and Johnson Controls (JCI)
MetricGWWJCI
P/E Ratio (TTM)31.6628.61
P/S Ratio (TTM)3.483.19
P/B Ratio (MRQ)15.565.99
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)1.97%3.81%