Is GWW or ITW cheaper?

On trailing earnings, ITW is cheaper: GWW trades at a 36.96 P/E and ITW at 24.48.

Which has grown faster, GWW or ITW?

Over the past five years, GWW grew revenue faster — GWW at a 9.12% CAGR versus ITW at 4.71%.

Does GWW or ITW pay a bigger dividend?

GWW yields 0.67% and ITW yields 2.40% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is GWW or ITW more profitable?

ITW runs the higher net margin — GWW at 9.70% versus ITW at 19.32%.

Which has been the better investment, GWW or ITW?

Over the past 10-year, GWW delivered the higher annualized total return — GWW at 22.08% versus ITW at 12.61%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) vs Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW)

ITW leads on 9 of 17 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of W.W. Grainger, Inc. and Illinois Tool Works Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 25, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

$75.86B

$263.68Industrials

Total return — GWW vs ITW

growth of $100 · last 30y

GWW +3325.8%ITW +1451.1%GWW compounded faster

GWW ITW

GWW vs ITW: by the numbers

•ITW is the larger company ($75.86B vs $64.91B market cap).
•ITW trades at the lower earnings multiple (24.48 vs 36.96 P/E).
•ITW converts more revenue to profit (19.32% vs 9.70% net margin).
•GWW grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.12% vs 4.71% CAGR).
•ITW pays the higher dividend yield (2.40% vs 0.67%).

Which is better, GWW or ITW?

Metric tally: GWW 8 · ITW 9

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueITW(lower P/E)

GrowthGWW(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeITW(higher dividend yield)

QualityGWW(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	GWW	ITW
P/E ratio	36.96	24.48●
Forward P/E	30.14	23.33●
P/S ratio	3.55●	4.70
P/B ratio	16.58●	23.61
PEG ratio	1.66●	2.56
EV / EBITDA	23.32	18.18●
FCF yield	2.12%	3.59%●

Profitability

Metric	GWW	ITW
Gross margin	39.15%	44.12%●
Operating margin	14.23%	26.42%●
Net margin	9.70%	19.32%●
ROE	45.34%	97.06%●
ROIC	27.73%●	24.49%

Dividends

Metric	GWW	ITW
Dividend yield	0.67%	2.40%●
Payout ratio	26.13%	60.17%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	GWW	ITW
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	9.12%●	4.71%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	22.25%●	9.58%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	7.67%●	1.38%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	26.72%●	5.89%

Frequently asked

Which is better, GWW or ITW?: It depends on your goal. value: ITW (lower P/E); growth: GWW (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: ITW (higher dividend yield); quality: GWW (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, ITW leads 9 to 8.
Is GWW or ITW cheaper?: On trailing earnings, ITW is cheaper: GWW trades at a 36.96 P/E and ITW at 24.48.
Which has grown faster, GWW or ITW?: Over the past five years, GWW grew revenue faster — GWW at a 9.12% CAGR versus ITW at 4.71%.
Does GWW or ITW pay a bigger dividend?: GWW yields 0.67% and ITW yields 2.40% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is GWW or ITW more profitable?: ITW runs the higher net margin — GWW at 9.70% versus ITW at 19.32%.
Which has been the better investment, GWW or ITW?: Over the past 10-year, GWW delivered the higher annualized total return — GWW at 22.08% versus ITW at 12.61%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full GWW analysis Full ITW analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

W.W. Grainger P/E ratio Illinois Tool Works P/E ratio W.W. Grainger dividend yield Illinois Tool Works dividend yield W.W. Grainger ROE Illinois Tool Works ROE W.W. Grainger operating margin Illinois Tool Works operating margin W.W. Grainger revenue growth Illinois Tool Works revenue growth W.W. Grainger free cash flow Illinois Tool Works free cash flow

W.W. Grainger & Illinois Tool Works appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Dividend Aristocrats Highest ROE Stocks Highest ROIC Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 25, 2026.