GWW vs. LII: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at GWW and LII, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | GWW | LII |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | W.W. Grainger, Inc. | Lennox International Inc. |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Trading Companies & Distributors | Building Products |
| Market Capitalization | 48.48 billion USD | 20.04 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 21, 1973 | July 29, 1999 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of GWW and LII 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 | GWW | LII |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 1.81% | -7.00% |
| 13-Week Price Return | -6.00% | -0.71% |
| 26-Week Price Return | -0.74% | -12.38% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 3.71% | -0.59% |
| Month-to-Date Return | -2.51% | -6.32% |
| Year-to-Date Return | -3.85% | -6.36% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 0.30M | 0.40M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 0.28M | 0.39M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 27.57% | 31.49% |
| Beta | 1.20 | 1.14 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
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.
LII
99.44%
Building Products Industry
- Max
- 48.58%
- Q3
- 27.65%
- Median
- 16.01%
- Q1
- 8.81%
- Min
- -6.66%
LII’s Return on Equity of 99.44% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Building Products 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)
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.
LII
15.41%
Building Products Industry
- Max
- 26.11%
- Q3
- 15.09%
- Median
- 9.48%
- Q1
- 5.16%
- Min
- -3.43%
A Net Profit Margin of 15.41% places LII in the upper quartile for the Building Products industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
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.
LII
19.52%
Building Products Industry
- Max
- 26.67%
- Q3
- 18.75%
- Median
- 14.89%
- Q1
- 8.70%
- Min
- -1.00%
An Operating Profit Margin of 19.52% places LII in the upper quartile for the Building Products 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 | GWW | LII |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 54.86% | 99.44% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 21.63% | 24.03% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 10.99% | 15.41% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 15.27% | 19.52% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 39.25% | 33.13% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
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.
LII
1.41
Building Products Industry
- Max
- 2.87
- Q3
- 2.03
- Median
- 1.60
- Q1
- 1.32
- Min
- 0.88
LII’s Current Ratio of 1.41 aligns with the median group of the Building Products industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
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.
LII
1.31
Building Products Industry
- Max
- 1.64
- Q3
- 1.02
- Median
- 0.66
- Q1
- 0.32
- Min
- 0.00
LII’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Building Products industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.31. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
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.
LII
26.81
Building Products Industry
- Max
- 72.12
- Q3
- 34.39
- Median
- 15.31
- Q1
- 6.06
- Min
- 0.85
LII’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 26.81 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Building Products industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | GWW | LII |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.82 | 1.41 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 1.53 | 0.71 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.64 | 1.31 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 34.56 | 26.81 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
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.
LII
0.77%
Building Products Industry
- Max
- 2.56%
- Q3
- 1.94%
- Median
- 1.04%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- Min
- 0.00%
LII’s Dividend Yield of 0.77% is consistent with its peers in the Building Products industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
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.
LII
19.61%
Building Products Industry
- Max
- 157.36%
- Q3
- 77.74%
- Median
- 29.49%
- Q1
- 16.25%
- Min
- 0.00%
LII’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 19.61% is within the typical range for the Building Products industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | GWW | LII |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.92% | 0.77% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 22.89% | 19.61% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
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.
LII
25.59
Building Products Industry
- Max
- 66.79
- Q3
- 37.37
- Median
- 21.86
- Q1
- 17.57
- Min
- 9.70
LII’s P/E Ratio of 25.59 is within the middle range for the Building Products 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)
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.
LII
3.94
Building Products Industry
- Max
- 6.40
- Q3
- 3.25
- Median
- 1.65
- Q1
- 1.11
- Min
- 0.34
LII’s P/S Ratio of 3.94 is in the upper echelon for the Building Products 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)
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.
LII
22.59
Building Products Industry
- Max
- 13.31
- Q3
- 6.85
- Median
- 3.20
- Q1
- 1.71
- Min
- 0.73
At 22.59, LII’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Building Products 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 | GWW | LII |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 24.84 | 25.59 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 2.73 | 3.94 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 13.60 | 22.59 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 33.72 | 28.81 |