The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved up 7.6% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with strong ethical credentials. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 19% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are up 22%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 16%. The street (14 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $1266.
W. W. Grainger GWW
Clears both ethical standards
An entry written while the outcome is still unknown. It will be scored by what the market does next, and it will never be edited to look cleverer than it was.
In plain words · W.W.
read at $1,398.95
W. W. Grainger holds its Markup at $1,398.95.
- PHPhase · the trend structure carries the Markup label
- INInsiders · no filings inside 60 days, left as found
- POPositioning · no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
- OPOptions · no verdict drawn today, left as found
- SCScreen · passes the values gate
- edge confirmed
- edge broken
- edge forming
Each arm is one independent read. Conviction is not a single call, it is how many edges converge.
The investor read · the season, not the day
| Phase | Markup |
| Quantitative state | Consolidating, no directional conviction, held for 12 days |
| Price | $1,398.95 |
| Valuation | 37.62 trailing · 27.71 forward price to earnings |
| Values screen | PASS · score 79.8 |
| Beta | 1.04 |
The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth
Our framework reads OVERVALUED — it trades above our $1,164.82 fair value estimate, narrow competitive moat, 10.10% revenue growth.
Price history & projections · where it has been, where the models see it going
The valuation journey · where the price sits against fair value and the Street
Green marks levels above today's price, red below; the shaded band is the gap between the price and our fair value.
Reading the gap · Both our model and the Street see limited upside at this price.
| Revenue growth | 10.10% |
| Profit margin | 9.70% |
| Debt to equity | 64.03 |
| Analyst consensus | Hold · 14 covering |
Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; target range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.
The values screen, explained · five checks, plain English
This company clears both standards. There are two widely recognised ways to check whether a company is suitable for a Muslim investor. Here is how it did on each:
Used by most halal investing apps ✓ PASSES
The one Titan applies ✓ PASSES
What these two standards are, and how they differ →
- Business activity Its core business isn't built on prohibited lines — no gambling, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or interest-based lending. Pass
- Debt load Interest-bearing debt is just 31.9% of its assets, well under the one-third ceiling — it does not run on borrowed money. Pass
- Interest-bearing cash Cash held in interest-bearing accounts and securities is 0.0% of assets, under the one-third limit. Pass
- Receivables Money owed to the company is 32.5% of assets, under the 49% limit. Pass
- Revenue purity Only 0.0% of revenue comes from non-compliant sources — under the 5% line. Pass
Every security is read against two recognised standards: our stricter asset-based screen (ratios measured against total assets) and the more widely used market-value standard (measured against market capitalisation). Where they agree we say so plainly; where they part ways — almost always on the debt check — we show both readings and mark it, because that disagreement is the finding, not a fault. We report the score; you and your scholar make the call.
The business, in plain words · what the numbers mean
Factory supply runs still cost too much
Every workshop manager ordering a new pump seal or safety gloves knows the order must arrive fast and the price must stay steady. Grainger delivers both across North America, yet the shares trade at 27.6 times forward earnings against a fair value sixteen percent lower than the current price. Strong returns on equity and double-digit revenue growth do not offset the narrow moat and the clear gap between price and value.
That valuation leaves little room for the industrial cycle to slow or for larger rivals to take share. A hold rating from analysts and a target below the current quote already signal the market sees limited upside. Currency moves and construction spending swings add further volatility that a premium multiple rarely rewards.
The business clears our ethical screen without issue. Analysis, not advice.
| Forward P/E | 27.7x expensive even after accounting for its growth |
| Trailing P/E | 37.6x expensive — the price assumes strong growth ahead |
| Revenue growth | 10.1% steady growth |
| Profit margin | 9.7% thin but positive margins |
| Return on equity | 46.1% an exceptional return on shareholder capital |
| Debt to equity | 0.64 moderate, manageable leverage |
| Current ratio | 2.69 comfortably covers its short-term bills |
| Beta | 1.04 moves a little more than the market |
| Market cap | $66.0B |
| Employees | 22,100 |
The risks · The main risks here are ordinary market swings and the chance our fair-value read proves too optimistic.
Plain-English interpretation of our own screen data. Analysis, not advice.
Latest news · what the market is reading on GWW
- › W.W. Grainger (GWW): Buy, Sell, or Hold Post Q1 Earnings? StockStory · 19d ago
- › What Wall Street Pushed FAST To Explain Trefis · 19d ago
- › Are Industrial Products Stocks Lagging Applied Industrial Technologies (AIT) This Year? Zacks · 20d ago
- › Top Analyst Reports for NVIDIA, Oracle & Analog Device Zacks · 21d ago
- › Get Paid 8.3% To Let Someone Else Chase FAST Stock Higher Trefis · 21d ago
Headlines from third-party outlets, linked for reference — not our reporting, not advice.
Related securities · others in GWW's space worth a look
Screened names in the same industry · explore each on its own page.
Where & how to trade · wherever in the world you are
GWW trades on a US exchange. As a US-listed security it is accessible through almost any international broker offering US markets. New to this, or investing from outside the US? Our guide to accessing global markets covers brokers, currencies and the practical steps.
The trader read · the latest dated commentary
The dated journal · newest first, never edited
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with strong ethical credentials. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 19% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are up 22%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 16%. The street (14 analysts) rates it hold, with a mean price target of $1266.
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with strong ethical credentials. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns.
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Ethical screening: PASS with strong ethical credentials. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns.
Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.
The insider ledger · Form 4 filings, as filed
| Date | Insider | Title | Type | Shares | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-12 | LEROY JONATHAN MICHAEL | Chief Technology Officer | 854 | $1,051,327 | |
| 2026-05-12 | ROBBINS PAIGE K | Officer | 1,457 | $1,795,450 | |
| 2026-05-12 | THOMSON LAURIE R. | Officer | 313 | $385,519 | |
| 2026-04-02 | MERRIWETHER DEIDRA C | Chief Financial Officer | 1,488 | $1,658,042 | |
| 2026-04-01 | BERARDINELLI KRANTZ NANCY L | Officer | 1,766 | · | |
| 2026-04-01 | LEROY JONATHAN MICHAEL | Chief Technology Officer | 996 | · | |
| 2026-04-01 | ROBBINS PAIGE K | Officer | 2,461 | · | |
| 2026-04-01 | TINTO MELANIE J | Officer | 764 | · | |
| 2026-04-01 | MERRIWETHER DEIDRA C | Chief Financial Officer | 2,946 | · | |
| 2026-04-01 | THOMSON LAURIE R. | Officer | 268 | · |
Public filings, recorded as found. The full tape lives at Insider Intelligence.
The political ledger · congressional disclosures
| Date | Politician | Party | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-13 | Ro Khanna | Democrat | Purchase | 1K–15K |
What holding actually paid · price plus dividends
| Period | Price then | Price return | Divs per share | $1,000 became | Total return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | $1,226.09 | +7.0% | $2.49 | $1,072 | +7.2% |
| 2 months | $1,169.70 | +12.2% | $2.49 | $1,124 | +12.4% |
| 3 months | $1,080.00 | +21.5% | $2.49 | $1,217 | +21.7% |
| 6 months | $1,028.36 | +27.6% | $4.75 | $1,280 | +28.0% |
| 1 year | $1,075.98 | +21.9% | $9.27 | $1,228 | +22.8% |
| 2 years | $882.55 | +48.7% | $17.68 | $1,507 | +50.7% |
| 3 years | $688.52 | +90.5% | $25.31 | $1,942 | +94.2% |
| 5 years | $436.24 | +200.7% | $38.91 | $3,097 | +209.7% |
Historical returns from market close data. Past performance does not guarantee future results.