Fastenal [FAST] vs W.W. Grainger [GWW] Detailed Stock Comparison

Fastenal Co.

NASDAQ
Loading...

W.W. Grainger, Inc.

NYSE
Loading...

TLDR: Quick Comparison Summary

Based on 21 vital metrics comparison: Fastenal Co. wins in 10 metrics, W.W. Grainger, Inc. wins in 11 metrics, with 0 ties. W.W. Grainger, Inc. appears stronger overall.

View Metrics Details

Vital Metrics Comparison

Metric Fastenal Co. W.W. Grainger, Inc. Better
P/E Ratio (TTM) 39.65 32.58 W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Price-to-Book Ratio 13.05 14.65 Fastenal Co.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio 11.17 69.11 Fastenal Co.
PEG Ratio 2.58 -10.94 Fastenal Co.
EV/EBITDA 27.31 19.36 W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Profit Margin (TTM) 15.39% 9.51% Fastenal Co.
Operating Margin (TTM) 20.33% 14.73% Fastenal Co.
EBITDA Margin (TTM) 20.33% 14.73% Fastenal Co.
Return on Equity 33.84% 46.10% W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Return on Assets (TTM) 21.20% 19.03% Fastenal Co.
Free Cash Flow (TTM) $1.05B $1.33B W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Dividend Yield 3.47% 0.75% Fastenal Co.
1-Year Return 6.92% 13.49% W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) 6.09 3.05 W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Enterprise Value $51.58B $57.36B W.W. Grainger, Inc.
EV/Revenue Ratio 6.11 3.20 W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Gross Profit Margin (TTM) 44.64% 39.46% Fastenal Co.
Revenue per Share (TTM) $7 $375 W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Earnings per Share (Diluted) $1.13 $35.43 W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Beta (Stock Volatility) 0.84 1.09 Fastenal Co.
Short % of Float 2.73% 2.61% W.W. Grainger, Inc.

Fastenal Co. vs W.W. Grainger, Inc. Stock Performance Analysis

Loading Price Chart...

FAST
GWW

Performance Comparison

Short-term Returns

Stock1D1W1M3M6MYTD
Fastenal Co.3.87%3.66%3.52%0.50%12.71%14.89%
W.W. Grainger, Inc.1.25%3.06%12.44%11.53%32.24%27.93%

Long-term Returns

Stock1Y3Y5Y10Y15Y20Y
Fastenal Co.6.92%59.68%66.60%282.68%463.78%693.54%
W.W. Grainger, Inc.13.49%82.10%165.63%441.83%759.68%1,576.96%

Performance & Financial Health Analysis: Fastenal Co. vs W.W. Grainger, Inc.

MetricFASTGWW
Market Information
Market Cap i$52.19B$55.19B
Market Cap CategoryLarge capLarge cap
10 Day Avg. Volume i8,443,340222,099
90 Day Avg. Volume i8,016,233228,693
Last Close$46.46$1,284.22
52 Week Range$38.97 - $50.63$906.52 - $1,296.03
% from 52W High-8.24%-0.91%
All-Time High$84.88 (Nov 11, 2024)$1,296.03 (Jun 03, 2026)
% from All-Time High-45.26%-0.91%
Growth Metrics
Quarterly Revenue Growth0.12%0.05%
Quarterly Earnings Growth0.14%-0.05%
Financial Health
Profit Margin (TTM) i0.15%0.10%
Operating Margin (TTM) i0.20%0.15%
Return on Equity (TTM) i0.34%0.46%
Debt to Equity (MRQ) i11.1769.11
Cash & Liquidity
Book Value per Share (MRQ)$3.44$78.79
Cash per Share (MRQ)$0.27$12.35
Operating Cash Flow (TTM) i$1.41B$2.02B
Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM) i$904.46M$1.09B
Dividends
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i3.47%0.75%
Last 12-Month Dividend i$1.55$9.04

Valuation & Enterprise Metrics Analysis: Fastenal Co. vs W.W. Grainger, Inc.

MetricFAST (Apr 24, 2026)GWW (Apr 24, 2026)
Price Ratios
P/E Ratio (TTM) i39.6532.58
Forward P/E i32.8323.75
PEG Ratio i2.58-10.94
Price to Sales (TTM) i6.093.05
Price to Book (MRQ) i13.0514.65
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization i$52.19B$55.19B
Enterprise Value i$51.58B$57.36B
Enterprise Value Metrics
Enterprise to Revenue i6.113.20
Enterprise to EBITDA i27.3119.36
Risk & Other Metrics
Beta i0.841.09
Book Value per Share (MRQ) i$3.44$78.79

Financial Statements Comparison: Fastenal Co. vs W.W. Grainger, Inc.

Financial Metrics

Loading Financial Charts...

Revenue

Operating Margin

Profit Margin

Long Term Debt

Income Flow Analysis

Financial Statements Comparison

Income Statement

MetricFAST (2025)GWW (2025)
Revenue/Sales i8.20B17.94B
Cost of Goods Sold i4.51B10.93B
COGS % of Revenue i55.0%60.9%
Gross Profit i3.69B7.01B
Gross Margin i45.0%39.1%
Research & Development iN/AN/A
Operating Income (EBIT) i1.66B2.50B
Operating Margin i20.2%13.9%
EBITDA i1.84B2.77B
EBITDA Margin i22.4%15.4%
Pre-Tax Income i1.66B2.43B
Pre-Tax Income % of Revenue i20.2%13.5%
Income Tax i396.60M622.00M
Income Tax % of Revenue i4.8%3.5%
Net Income (Profit) i1.26B1.81B
Profit Margin i15.3%10.1%

Balance Sheet & Liquidity Metrics

MetricFAST (2025)GWW (2025)
Cash & Equivalents i276.80M585.00M
Total Current Assets i3.47B5.48B
Total Current Assets % of Revenue i42.3%30.6%
Total Current Liabilities i715.60M1.94B
Total Current Liabilities % of Revenue i8.7%10.8%
Long-Term Debt i310.80M2.66B
Long-Term Debt % of Revenue i3.8%14.8%
Total Shareholders Equity i3.94B4.14B
Retained Earnings i3.87B14.96B
Retained Earnings % of Revenue i47.2%83.4%
Property, Plant & Equipment i2.14B345.00M

Cash Flow Statement Comparison

MetricFAST (2025)GWW (2025)
Operating Cash Flow i1.26B1.83B
Operating Cash Flow % of Revenue i15.4%10.2%
Capital Expenditures i-230.50MN/A
Free Cash Flow i1.05B1.33B
FCF Margin i12.8%7.4%
Debt Repayment i-1.18B-506.00M
Common Stock Repurchase iN/A-1.05B

Short Interest & Institutional Ownership Analysis

MetricFASTGWW
Shares Short i27.51M1.04M
Short Ratio i3.524.37
Short % of Float i2.73%2.61%
Shares Outstanding i1.15B47.42M
Float Shares i1.14B43.37M
% Held by Insiders i0.17%6.25%
% Held by Institutions i88.23%76.43%
% Held by Public i11.60%17.32%

Dividend Analysis & Yield Comparison: Fastenal Co. vs W.W. Grainger, Inc.

MetricFASTGWW
Last 12-Month Dividend i$1.55$9.04
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i3.47%0.75%
3-Year Avg Annual Dividend i$1.63$8.23
3-Year Avg Dividend Yield i1.03%0.22%
3-Year Total Dividends i$4.89$24.68
Ex-Dividend DateJan 29, 2026Feb 09, 2026