Is GWW or NSC cheaper?

On trailing earnings, NSC is cheaper: GWW trades at a 36.36 P/E and NSC at 26.29.

Which has grown faster, GWW or NSC?

Over the past five years, GWW grew revenue faster — GWW at a 9.12% CAGR versus NSC at 4.45%.

Does GWW or NSC pay a bigger dividend?

GWW yields 0.74% and NSC yields 1.73% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is GWW or NSC more profitable?

NSC runs the higher net margin — GWW at 9.70% versus NSC at 21.91%.

Which has been the better investment, GWW or NSC?

Over the past 10-year, GWW delivered the higher annualized total return — GWW at 21.88% versus NSC at 16.54%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) vs Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC)

NSC leads on 10 of 17 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of W.W. Grainger, Inc. and Norfolk Southern Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 26, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Norfolk Southern Corporation

$70.06B

$312.06Industrials

Total return — GWW vs NSC

growth of $100 · last 30y

GWW +3408.1%NSC +999.9%GWW compounded faster

GWW NSC

GWW vs NSC: by the numbers

•NSC is the larger company ($70.06B vs $63.91B market cap).
•NSC trades at the lower earnings multiple (26.29 vs 36.36 P/E).
•NSC converts more revenue to profit (21.91% vs 9.70% net margin).
•GWW grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.12% vs 4.45% CAGR).
•NSC pays the higher dividend yield (1.73% vs 0.74%).

Which is better, GWW or NSC?

Metric tally: GWW 7 · NSC 10

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueNSC(lower P/E)

GrowthGWW(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeNSC(higher dividend yield)

QualityGWW(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	GWW	NSC
P/E ratio	36.36	26.29●
Forward P/E	29.66	23.07●
P/S ratio	3.49●	5.76
P/B ratio	16.32	4.44●
PEG ratio	1.63●	2.24
EV / EBITDA	23.06	16.09●
FCF yield	2.15%	5.44%●

Profitability

Metric	GWW	NSC
Gross margin	39.15%	45.31%●
Operating margin	14.23%	32.39%●
Net margin	9.70%	21.91%●
ROE	45.34%●	16.89%
ROIC	27.73%●	7.47%

Dividends

Metric	GWW	NSC
Dividend yield	0.74%	1.73%●
Payout ratio	28.08%	42.35%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	GWW	NSC
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	9.12%●	4.45%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	22.25%●	10.10%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	7.67%	10.65%●
Total return CAGR (5Y)	26.29%●	5.43%

Frequently asked

Which is better, GWW or NSC?: It depends on your goal. value: NSC (lower P/E); growth: GWW (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: NSC (higher dividend yield); quality: GWW (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, NSC leads 10 to 7.
Is GWW or NSC cheaper?: On trailing earnings, NSC is cheaper: GWW trades at a 36.36 P/E and NSC at 26.29.
Which has grown faster, GWW or NSC?: Over the past five years, GWW grew revenue faster — GWW at a 9.12% CAGR versus NSC at 4.45%.
Does GWW or NSC pay a bigger dividend?: GWW yields 0.74% and NSC yields 1.73% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is GWW or NSC more profitable?: NSC runs the higher net margin — GWW at 9.70% versus NSC at 21.91%.
Which has been the better investment, GWW or NSC?: Over the past 10-year, GWW delivered the higher annualized total return — GWW at 21.88% versus NSC at 16.54%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full GWW analysis Full NSC analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

W.W. Grainger P/E ratio Norfolk Southern P/E ratio W.W. Grainger dividend yield Norfolk Southern dividend yield W.W. Grainger ROE Norfolk Southern ROE W.W. Grainger operating margin Norfolk Southern operating margin W.W. Grainger revenue growth Norfolk Southern revenue growth W.W. Grainger free cash flow Norfolk Southern free cash flow

W.W. Grainger & Norfolk Southern appear in these rankings

Dividend Aristocrats Highest ROE Stocks Highest ROIC Stocks Highest Operating Margin 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 26, 2026.