GWW vs. LUV: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at GWW and LUV, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | GWW | LUV |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | W.W. Grainger, Inc. | Southwest Airlines Co. |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Trading Companies & Distributors | Passenger Airlines |
| Market Capitalization | 45.91 billion USD | 17.08 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 21, 1973 | January 2, 1980 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of GWW and LUV 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 | LUV |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 0.00% | -3.48% |
| 13-Week Price Return | -8.39% | -1.63% |
| 26-Week Price Return | -3.57% | -7.21% |
| 52-Week Price Return | -8.01% | 8.06% |
| Month-to-Date Return | -5.97% | -3.01% |
| Year-to-Date Return | -9.59% | -5.09% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 0.30M | 11.04M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 0.30M | 10.65M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 28.09% | 40.41% |
| Beta | 1.18 | 1.25 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
GWW
54.86%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 32.99%
- Q3
- 19.66%
- Median
- 13.72%
- Q1
- 9.74%
- Min
- -0.34%
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.
LUV
4.11%
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 49.96%
- Q3
- 27.29%
- Median
- 16.68%
- Q1
- 8.40%
- Min
- -15.23%
LUV’s Return on Equity of 4.11% is in the lower quartile for the Passenger Airlines industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
GWW
10.99%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 16.11%
- Q3
- 9.48%
- Median
- 5.89%
- Q1
- 3.68%
- Min
- -1.09%
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.
LUV
1.43%
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 16.00%
- Q3
- 8.99%
- Median
- 6.35%
- Q1
- 3.18%
- Min
- -4.22%
Falling into the lower quartile for the Passenger Airlines industry, LUV’s Net Profit Margin of 1.43% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
GWW
15.27%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 26.26%
- Q3
- 14.59%
- Median
- 7.05%
- Q1
- 4.94%
- Min
- -8.06%
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.
LUV
1.15%
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 22.47%
- Q3
- 12.67%
- Median
- 8.62%
- Q1
- 4.63%
- Min
- -2.30%
LUV’s Operating Profit Margin of 1.15% is in the lower quartile for the Passenger Airlines industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | GWW | LUV |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 54.86% | 4.11% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 21.63% | 1.20% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 10.99% | 1.43% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 15.27% | 1.15% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 39.25% | 73.31% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
GWW
2.82
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 3.32
- Q3
- 2.27
- Median
- 1.60
- Q1
- 1.41
- Min
- 0.26
GWW’s Current Ratio of 2.82 is in the upper quartile for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This signifies a strong liquidity position, suggesting the company is well-equipped to cover its immediate liabilities compared to its peers.
LUV
0.56
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 1.44
- Q3
- 0.91
- Median
- 0.73
- Q1
- 0.54
- Min
- 0.18
LUV’s Current Ratio of 0.56 aligns with the median group of the Passenger Airlines 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
- 1.93
- Q3
- 1.24
- Median
- 0.79
- Q1
- 0.61
- Min
- 0.01
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.
LUV
0.51
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 10.23
- Q3
- 5.04
- Median
- 1.27
- Q1
- 0.82
- Min
- 0.00
Falling into the lower quartile for the Passenger Airlines industry, LUV’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.51 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
GWW
34.56
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 15.13
- Q3
- 7.93
- Median
- 5.67
- Q1
- 2.04
- 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.
LUV
9.27
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 22.60
- Q3
- 17.27
- Median
- 6.75
- Q1
- 1.94
- Min
- -8.55
LUV’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 9.27 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Passenger Airlines industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | GWW | LUV |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.82 | 0.56 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 1.53 | 0.45 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.64 | 0.51 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 34.56 | 9.27 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
GWW
0.97%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 5.25%
- Q3
- 2.95%
- Median
- 2.06%
- Q1
- 1.11%
- Min
- 0.00%
GWW’s Dividend Yield of 0.97% 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.
LUV
2.51%
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 7.04%
- Q3
- 3.76%
- Median
- 1.72%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
LUV’s Dividend Yield of 2.51% is consistent with its peers in the Passenger Airlines industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
GWW
22.89%
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 136.12%
- Q3
- 71.34%
- Median
- 47.49%
- Q1
- 22.56%
- Min
- 0.00%
GWW’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 22.89% is within the typical range for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
LUV
59.15%
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 99.73%
- Q3
- 50.30%
- Median
- 23.18%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
LUV’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 59.15% is in the upper quartile for the Passenger Airlines industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | GWW | LUV |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.97% | 2.51% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 22.89% | 59.15% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
GWW
23.61
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 42.69
- Q3
- 25.21
- Median
- 16.99
- Q1
- 13.13
- Min
- 5.35
GWW’s P/E Ratio of 23.61 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.
LUV
43.34
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 18.74
- Q3
- 11.24
- Median
- 8.33
- Q1
- 6.11
- Min
- 2.97
At 43.34, LUV’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Passenger Airlines industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
GWW
2.60
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 4.90
- Q3
- 2.71
- Median
- 1.06
- Q1
- 0.70
- Min
- 0.30
GWW’s P/S Ratio of 2.60 aligns with the market consensus for the Trading Companies & Distributors industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
LUV
0.62
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 1.07
- Q3
- 0.73
- Median
- 0.62
- Q1
- 0.40
- Min
- 0.09
LUV’s P/S Ratio of 0.62 aligns with the market consensus for the Passenger Airlines industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
GWW
13.60
Trading Companies & Distributors Industry
- Max
- 7.55
- Q3
- 4.63
- Median
- 2.09
- Q1
- 1.30
- Min
- 0.31
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.
LUV
2.31
Passenger Airlines Industry
- Max
- 3.47
- Q3
- 3.19
- Median
- 1.94
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- 0.50
LUV’s P/B Ratio of 2.31 is within the conventional range for the Passenger Airlines industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | GWW | LUV |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 23.61 | 43.34 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 2.60 | 0.62 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 13.60 | 2.31 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 32.05 | 45.31 |