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

W.W. Grainger, Inc.

NYSE
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Fastenal Co.

NASDAQ
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TLDR: Quick Comparison Summary

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

View Metrics Details

Vital Metrics Comparison

Metric W.W. Grainger, Inc. Fastenal Co. Better
P/E Ratio (TTM) 32.58 39.65 W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Price-to-Book Ratio 14.65 13.05 Fastenal Co.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio 69.11 11.17 Fastenal Co.
PEG Ratio -10.94 2.58 Fastenal Co.
EV/EBITDA 19.36 27.31 W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Profit Margin (TTM) 9.51% 15.39% Fastenal Co.
Operating Margin (TTM) 14.73% 20.33% Fastenal Co.
EBITDA Margin (TTM) 14.73% 20.33% Fastenal Co.
Return on Equity 46.10% 33.84% W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Return on Assets (TTM) 19.03% 21.20% Fastenal Co.
Free Cash Flow (TTM) $1.33B $1.05B W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Dividend Yield 0.75% 3.47% Fastenal Co.
1-Year Return 23.65% 10.43% W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) 3.05 6.09 W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Enterprise Value $57.36B $51.58B W.W. Grainger, Inc.
EV/Revenue Ratio 3.20 6.11 W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Gross Profit Margin (TTM) 39.46% 44.64% Fastenal Co.
Revenue per Share (TTM) $375 $7 W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Earnings per Share (Diluted) $35.43 $1.13 W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Beta (Stock Volatility) 1.09 0.84 Fastenal Co.
Short % of Float 2.61% 2.73% W.W. Grainger, Inc.

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

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GWW
FAST

Performance Comparison

Short-term Returns

Stock1D1W1M3M6MYTD
W.W. Grainger, Inc.-0.15%0.72%3.26%23.90%27.62%30.89%
Fastenal Co.-1.01%0.22%6.56%0.92%8.27%14.00%

Long-term Returns

Stock1Y3Y5Y10Y15Y20Y
W.W. Grainger, Inc.23.65%79.66%201.44%493.99%810.38%1,747.87%
Fastenal Co.10.43%64.62%83.71%318.79%467.93%846.54%

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

MetricGWWFAST
Market Information
Market Cap i$55.19B$52.19B
Market Cap CategoryLarge capLarge cap
10 Day Avg. Volume i222,0998,443,340
90 Day Avg. Volume i228,6938,016,233
Last Close$1,313.92$46.10
52 Week Range$906.52 - $1,349.74$38.97 - $50.63
% from 52W High-2.65%-8.95%
All-Time High$1,349.74 (Jun 10, 2026)$84.88 (Nov 11, 2024)
% from All-Time High-2.65%-45.69%
Growth Metrics
Quarterly Revenue Growth0.05%0.12%
Quarterly Earnings Growth-0.05%0.14%
Financial Health
Profit Margin (TTM) i0.10%0.15%
Operating Margin (TTM) i0.15%0.20%
Return on Equity (TTM) i0.46%0.34%
Debt to Equity (MRQ) i69.1111.17
Cash & Liquidity
Book Value per Share (MRQ)$78.79$3.44
Cash per Share (MRQ)$12.35$0.27
Operating Cash Flow (TTM) i$2.02B$1.41B
Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM) i$1.09B$904.46M
Dividends
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i0.75%3.47%
Last 12-Month Dividend i$9.04$1.55

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

MetricGWW (Apr 24, 2026)FAST (Apr 24, 2026)
Price Ratios
P/E Ratio (TTM) i32.5839.65
Forward P/E i23.7532.83
PEG Ratio i-10.942.58
Price to Sales (TTM) i3.056.09
Price to Book (MRQ) i14.6513.05
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization i$55.19B$52.19B
Enterprise Value i$57.36B$51.58B
Enterprise Value Metrics
Enterprise to Revenue i3.206.11
Enterprise to EBITDA i19.3627.31
Risk & Other Metrics
Beta i1.090.84
Book Value per Share (MRQ) i$78.79$3.44

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

Financial Metrics

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Revenue

Operating Margin

Profit Margin

Long Term Debt

Income Flow Analysis

Financial Statements Comparison

Income Statement

MetricGWW (2025)FAST (2025)
Revenue/Sales i17.94B8.20B
Cost of Goods Sold i10.93B4.51B
COGS % of Revenue i60.9%55.0%
Gross Profit i7.01B3.69B
Gross Margin i39.1%45.0%
Research & Development iN/AN/A
Operating Income (EBIT) i2.50B1.66B
Operating Margin i13.9%20.2%
EBITDA i2.77B1.84B
EBITDA Margin i15.4%22.4%
Pre-Tax Income i2.43B1.66B
Pre-Tax Income % of Revenue i13.5%20.2%
Income Tax i622.00M396.60M
Income Tax % of Revenue i3.5%4.8%
Net Income (Profit) i1.81B1.26B
Profit Margin i10.1%15.3%

Balance Sheet & Liquidity Metrics

MetricGWW (2025)FAST (2025)
Cash & Equivalents i585.00M276.80M
Total Current Assets i5.48B3.47B
Total Current Assets % of Revenue i30.6%42.3%
Total Current Liabilities i1.94B715.60M
Total Current Liabilities % of Revenue i10.8%8.7%
Long-Term Debt i2.66B310.80M
Long-Term Debt % of Revenue i14.8%3.8%
Total Shareholders Equity i4.14B3.94B
Retained Earnings i14.96B3.87B
Retained Earnings % of Revenue i83.4%47.2%
Property, Plant & Equipment i345.00M2.14B

Cash Flow Statement Comparison

MetricGWW (2025)FAST (2025)
Operating Cash Flow i1.83B1.26B
Operating Cash Flow % of Revenue i10.2%15.4%
Capital Expenditures iN/A-230.50M
Free Cash Flow i1.33B1.05B
FCF Margin i7.4%12.8%
Debt Repayment i-506.00M-1.18B
Common Stock Repurchase i-1.05BN/A

Short Interest & Institutional Ownership Analysis

MetricGWWFAST
Shares Short i1.04M27.51M
Short Ratio i4.373.52
Short % of Float i2.61%2.73%
Shares Outstanding i47.42M1.15B
Float Shares i43.37M1.14B
% Held by Insiders i6.25%0.17%
% Held by Institutions i76.43%88.23%
% Held by Public i17.32%11.60%

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

MetricGWWFAST
Last 12-Month Dividend i$9.04$1.55
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i0.75%3.47%
3-Year Avg Annual Dividend i$8.23$1.63
3-Year Avg Dividend Yield i0.22%1.03%
3-Year Total Dividends i$24.68$4.89
Ex-Dividend DateFeb 09, 2026Jan 29, 2026