GWW vs MSM: WW Grainger and MSC Industrial Direct Company compared
The short version
From the latest prices and each company's SEC filings. Who's ahead on each measure, not which to buy.
- WW Grainger is the larger company, worth $60.5B, about 8.6 times MSC Industrial Direct Company.
- WW Grainger grew revenue faster over the last year (+10.2% vs +7.8%).
- WW Grainger keeps more of each dollar of revenue as operating profit (14.6% vs 8.5%).
- On earnings, MSC Industrial Direct Company is the cheaper stock (33.9x vs 34.4x).
- WW Grainger's price assumes faster free cash flow growth: about 16% a year, against 10% for MSC Industrial Direct Company (reverse DCF).
Side by side
The stronger figure is shaded where higher (or, for valuation multiples, lower) reads as better. How the implied growth works.
| Measure | GWW | MSM |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $60.5B | $7.0B |
| Share price | $1,289.79 | $129.51 |
| Revenue (last fiscal year) | $17.9B | $3.8B |
| Free cash flow (last fiscal year) | $1.3B | $241M |
| Revenue growth, last year | +10.2% | +7.8% |
| Revenue growth per year, last 5 fiscal years | +8.3% | +3.8% |
| Operating margin | 14.6% | 8.5% |
| Net margin | 9.9% | 5.9% |
| Return on equity | 45.3% | 16.3% |
| P/E (trailing) | 34.4x | 33.9x |
| Price / free cash flow | 45.4x | 29.2x |
| EV / EBITDA | 21.7x | 17.8x |
| FCF growth the price implies | 15.8% | 9.9% |
| Dividend yield | 0.69% | 2.7% |
| Debt / equity | 1.24x | 0.76x |
| Fundamental grade | C | C |
| Superinvestors holding it | 5 | 6 |
| Insider purchases, last 12 months | 4 | 5 |
Results from SEC filings
Revenue and free cash flow by fiscal year, from each company's 10-K filings.
WW Grainger
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $13.0B | $682M | 11.9% |
| 2022 | $15.2B | $1.1B | 14.5% |
| 2023 | $16.5B | $1.6B | 15.6% |
| 2024 | $17.2B | $1.6B | 15.4% |
| 2025 | $17.9B | $1.3B | 13.9% |
MSC Industrial Direct Company
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $3.2B | $171M | 9.3% |
| 2022 | $3.7B | $185M | 12.7% |
| 2023 | $4.0B | $607M | 12.1% |
| 2024 | $3.8B | $311M | 10.2% |
| 2025 | $3.8B | $241M | 8.0% |
Where the revenue comes from
WW Grainger · by segments, 2025
High-Touch Solutions N.A.$14.0B79%
Endless Assortment$3.6B21%
MSC Industrial Direct Company
No segment breakdown reported.
Compare them in fullFifteen years of statements, quarterly results, DCF and IRR models, and any number of peers side by side.
Open GWW in InvestinglyQuestions
Which is bigger, WW Grainger or MSC Industrial Direct Company?
WW Grainger (GWW), at $60.5B against $7.0B.
Is GWW or MSM cheaper?
By trailing P/E, MSC Industrial Direct Company (33.9x) is cheaper than WW Grainger (34.4x). A lower multiple can also mean the market expects less growth.
Which grows faster, GWW or MSM?
WW Grainger: revenue grew +10.2% over the last year, against +7.8%.
Prices and ratios as of the last daily update; statements from SEC filings. Information only, not investment advice.