IR vs. GWW

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

IR (Ingersoll-Rand Plc) and GWW (W.W. Grainger, Inc.) are both stocks. Both are in the Industrials sector — IR in Specialty Industrial Machinery, GWW in Industrial Distribution. Over the past 5 years, IR returned 7.95%/yr vs 23.57%/yr for GWW. At a 0.49 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

IR vs. GWW - Performance Comparison

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IR achieves a -9.55% return, which is significantly lower than GWW's 26.19% return.

IR

• 1D: 0.93%
• 1M: -8.14%
• YTD: -9.55%
• 6M: -9.50%
• 1Y: -11.56%
• 3Y*: 5.39%
• 5Y*: 7.95%
• 10Y*: —

GWW

• 1D: 2.04%
• 1M: 10.65%
• YTD: 26.19%
• 6M: 32.48%
• 1Y: 19.08%
• 3Y*: 24.29%
• 5Y*: 23.57%
• 10Y*: 20.55%

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

IR vs. GWW - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IR Ingersoll-Rand Plc	-9.55%	-12.34%	17.06%	48.21%	-15.41%	35.85%	24.21%	92.80%	-39.73%	60.81%
GWW W.W. Grainger, Inc.	26.19%	-3.41%	28.21%	50.53%	8.75%	28.80%	22.85%	22.25%	21.69%	29.77%

Correlation

The correlation between IR and GWW is 0.47, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.47
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.56
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.57
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 15, 2017	0.49

The correlation between IR and GWW has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.47 to 0.57 - a consistent structural relationship.

Fundamentals

EPS IR : $1.96 GWW : $37.26
PE Ratio IR : 36.51 GWW : 34.04
PEG Ratio IR : 8.68 GWW : 1.97
PS Ratio IR : 2.75 GWW : 3.30
Total Revenue (TTM) IR : $7.78B GWW : $18.38B
Gross Profit (TTM) IR : $2.98B GWW : $7.20B
EBITDA (TTM) IR : $1.55B GWW : $2.82B

Return for Risk

IR vs. GWW — Risk / Return Rank

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

IR

IR Risk / Return Rank: 24
IR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 25
IR Sortino Ratio Rank: 23
IR Omega Ratio Rank: 23
IR Calmar Ratio Rank: 27
IR Martin Ratio Rank: 21

GWW

GWW Risk / Return Rank: 61
GWW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 65
GWW Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
GWW Omega Ratio Rank: 59
GWW Calmar Ratio Rank: 63
GWW Martin Ratio Rank: 60

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.

IR vs. GWW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Ingersoll-Rand Plc (IR) 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.

	IR	GWW	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.35	0.77	-1.13
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.30	1.17	-1.47
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.96	1.17	-0.20
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.40	1.12	-1.52
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.96	2.13	-3.09
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IR vs. GWW - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IR Sharpe Ratio is -0.35, which is lower than the GWW Sharpe Ratio of 0.77. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IR and GWW, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	IR	GWW	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.35	0.77	-1.13
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.27	0.96	-0.69
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.72	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.45	0.56	-0.10

Drawdowns

IR vs. GWW - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IR drawdown since its inception was -50.27%, smaller than the maximum GWW drawdown of -56.73%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IR and GWW.

Drawdown Indicators

	IR	GWW	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-50.27%	-56.73%	+6.46%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-30.56%	-15.70%	-14.86%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-36.62%	-24.50%	-12.12%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-36.62%	-24.50%	-12.12%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-41.60%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-31.92%	-1.23%	-30.69%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-12.77%	-11.01%	-1.76%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	12.65%	8.29%	+4.36%

Volatility

IR vs. GWW - Volatility Comparison

Ingersoll-Rand Plc (IR) has a higher volatility of 8.46% compared to W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) at 7.43%. This indicates that IR'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

	IR	GWW	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.46%	7.43%	+1.03%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	24.80%	18.25%	+6.55%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	32.75%	24.82%	+7.93%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	29.95%	24.67%	+5.28%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	34.34%	28.54%	+5.80%

Dividends

IR vs. GWW - Dividend Comparison

IR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.11%, less than GWW's 0.73% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
GWW W.W. Grainger, Inc.	0.73%	0.88%	0.76%	0.88%	1.22%	1.23%	1.45%	1.68%	1.90%	2.14%	2.08%	2.27%
IR Ingersoll-Rand Plc	0.11%	0.10%	0.09%	0.10%	0.15%	0.03%	0.00%	5.78%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Financials

IR vs. GWW - Profitability Comparison

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

IR - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Ingersoll-Rand Plc reported a gross profit of 792.40M and revenue of 1.85B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 42.9%.

GWW - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, W.W. Grainger, Inc. reported a gross profit of 1.90B and revenue of 4.74B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 40.0%.

IR - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Ingersoll-Rand Plc reported an operating income of 289.70M and revenue of 1.85B, resulting in an operating margin of 15.7%.

GWW - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, W.W. Grainger, Inc. reported an operating income of 793.00M and revenue of 4.74B, resulting in an operating margin of 16.7%.

IR - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Ingersoll-Rand Plc reported a net income of 192.10M and revenue of 1.85B, resulting in a net margin of 10.4%.

GWW - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, W.W. Grainger, Inc. reported a net income of 555.00M and revenue of 4.74B, resulting in a net margin of 11.7%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both IR and GWW in my portfolio?

IR and GWW have a correlation of 0.47, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, IR or GWW?

IR has higher volatility (8.46%) compared to GWW (7.43%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IR dropped -50.27% vs GWW's -56.73%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

GWW currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.77 vs -0.35), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.