FERG vs. GWW

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Ferguson plc (FERG) and W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW).

Performance

FERG vs. GWW - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Ferguson plc (FERG) and W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FERG vs. GWW - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FERG Ferguson plc	5.59%	29.90%	-8.62%	55.10%	-27.17%	56.42%	33.97%	49.90%	-14.35%	23.91%
GWW W.W. Grainger, Inc.	8.31%	-3.41%	28.21%	50.53%	8.75%	28.80%	22.85%	22.25%	21.69%	4.35%

Fundamentals

Market Cap FERG : $45.70B GWW : $51.92B
EPS FERG : $10.47 GWW : $35.57
PE Ratio FERG : 22.27 GWW : 30.67
PEG Ratio FERG : 2.01 GWW : 1.77
PS Ratio FERG : 1.45 GWW : 2.92
PB Ratio FERG : 7.80 GWW : 12.25
Total Revenue (TTM) FERG : $31.78B GWW : $17.94B
Gross Profit (TTM) FERG : $9.77B GWW : $7.01B
EBITDA (TTM) FERG : $3.33B GWW : $2.70B

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FERG achieves a 5.59% return, which is significantly lower than GWW's 8.31% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with FERG having a 17.64% annualized return and GWW not far ahead at 18.44%.

FERG

• 1D: 4.30%
• 1M: -10.21%
• YTD: 5.59%
• 6M: 4.67%
• 1Y: 47.82%
• 3Y*: 22.42%
• 5Y*: 15.63%
• 10Y*: 17.64%

GWW

• 1D: 3.18%
• 1M: -4.71%
• YTD: 8.31%
• 6M: 14.95%
• 1Y: 11.40%
• 3Y*: 17.59%
• 5Y*: 23.13%
• 10Y*: 18.44%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

FERG vs. GWW — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

FERG

FERG Risk / Return Rank: 83
FERG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 83
FERG Sortino Ratio Rank: 84
FERG Omega Ratio Rank: 81
FERG Calmar Ratio Rank: 83
FERG Martin Ratio Rank: 86

GWW

GWW Risk / Return Rank: 56
GWW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
GWW Sortino Ratio Rank: 50
GWW Omega Ratio Rank: 51
GWW Calmar Ratio Rank: 61
GWW Martin Ratio Rank: 58

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

FERG vs. GWW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Ferguson plc (FERG) and W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	FERG	GWW	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.38	0.45	+0.93
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.27	0.77	+1.50
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.29	1.11	+0.19
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.60	0.79	+1.80
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.10	1.50	+6.61
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FERG vs. GWW - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FERG Sharpe Ratio is 1.38, which is higher than the GWW Sharpe Ratio of 0.45. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FERG and GWW, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	FERG	GWW	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.38	0.45	+0.93
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.53	0.95	-0.42
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.57	0.65	-0.08
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.60	0.54	+0.06

Correlation

The correlation between FERG and GWW is 0.23, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

FERG vs. GWW - Dividend Comparison

FERG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.47%, more than GWW's 0.83% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FERG Ferguson plc	1.47%	1.12%	1.84%	1.57%	2.76%	2.34%	2.33%	2.43%	3.75%	3.52%	1.11%	0.00%
GWW W.W. Grainger, Inc.	0.83%	0.88%	0.76%	0.88%	1.22%	1.23%	1.45%	1.68%	1.90%	2.14%	2.08%	2.27%

Drawdowns

FERG vs. GWW - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FERG drawdown since its inception was -55.35%, roughly equal to the maximum GWW drawdown of -56.73%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FERG and GWW.

Drawdown Indicators

	FERG	GWW	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-55.35%	-56.73%	+1.38%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-18.32%	-16.26%	-2.06%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-43.31%	-24.50%	-18.81%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-55.35%	-41.60%	-13.75%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-12.43%	-9.69%	-2.74%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.83%	-11.05%	+1.22%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.87%	8.60%	-2.73%

Volatility

FERG vs. GWW - Volatility Comparison

Ferguson plc (FERG) has a higher volatility of 10.93% compared to W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) at 6.10%. This indicates that FERG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than GWW based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FERG	GWW	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	10.93%	6.10%	+4.83%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	20.93%	17.06%	+3.87%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	34.70%	25.30%	+9.40%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	29.79%	24.56%	+5.23%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	31.44%	28.44%	+3.00%

Financials

FERG vs. GWW - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Ferguson plc and W.W. Grainger, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

FERG - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Ferguson plc reported a gross profit of 2.21B and revenue of 7.50B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 29.4%.

GWW - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, W.W. Grainger, Inc. reported a gross profit of 1.75B and revenue of 4.43B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 39.5%.

FERG - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Ferguson plc reported an operating income of 596.00M and revenue of 7.50B, resulting in an operating margin of 8.0%.

GWW - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, W.W. Grainger, Inc. reported an operating income of 634.00M and revenue of 4.43B, resulting in an operating margin of 14.3%.

FERG - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Ferguson plc reported a net income of 389.00M and revenue of 7.50B, resulting in a net margin of 5.2%.

GWW - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, W.W. Grainger, Inc. reported a net income of 451.00M and revenue of 4.43B, resulting in a net margin of 10.2%.