LOW vs. GWW
LOW (Lowe's Companies, Inc.) and GWW (W.W. Grainger, Inc.) are both stocks. LOW operates in Home Improvement Retail (Consumer Cyclical), while GWW operates in Industrial Distribution (Industrials). Over the past 10 years, LOW returned 12.33%/yr vs 21.17%/yr for GWW. At a 0.37 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
LOW vs. GWW - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, LOW achieves a -12.96% return, which is significantly lower than GWW's 29.79% return. Over the past 10 years, LOW has underperformed GWW with an annualized return of 12.33%, while GWW has yielded a comparatively higher 21.17% annualized return.
LOW
- 1D
- -1.31%
- 1M
- -9.26%
- YTD
- -12.96%
- 6M
- -14.26%
- 1Y
- -5.86%
- 3Y*
- 1.78%
- 5Y*
- 3.71%
- 10Y*
- 12.33%
GWW
- 1D
- 0.35%
- 1M
- 5.96%
- YTD
- 29.79%
- 6M
- 36.56%
- 1Y
- 20.24%
- 3Y*
- 23.74%
- 5Y*
- 24.53%
- 10Y*
- 21.17%
LOW vs. GWW - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LOW Lowe's Companies, Inc. | -12.96% | -0.33% | 13.01% | 14.03% | -21.49% | 63.34% | 36.40% | 32.23% | 1.22% | 33.29% |
GWW W.W. Grainger, Inc. | 29.79% | -3.41% | 28.21% | 50.53% | 8.75% | 28.80% | 22.85% | 22.25% | 21.69% | 4.35% |
Correlation
The correlation between LOW and GWW is 0.41, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.41 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.47 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.49 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.47 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 2, 1985 | 0.37 |
The correlation between LOW and GWW shifts across timeframes, from 0.37 (all time) to 0.49 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
LOW:
$116.46B
GWW:
$61.84B
LOW:
$11.86
GWW:
$37.26
LOW:
17.54
GWW:
35.01
LOW:
19.16
GWW:
2.02
LOW:
1.32
GWW:
3.39
LOW:
$88.43B
GWW:
$18.38B
LOW:
$29.89B
GWW:
$7.20B
LOW:
$11.50B
GWW:
$2.82B
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Return for Risk
LOW vs. GWW — Risk / Return Rank
LOW
GWW
LOW vs. GWW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW) 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.
| LOW | GWW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.05 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.38 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.98 | 1.18 | -0.19 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.21 | 1.36 | -1.57 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -0.49 | 2.60 | -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. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| LOW | GWW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.23 | 0.82 | -1.05 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.14 | 1.00 | -0.86 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.42 | 0.74 | -0.32 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.46 | 0.56 | -0.10 |
Drawdowns
LOW vs. GWW - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum LOW drawdown since its inception was -62.52%, which is greater than GWW's maximum drawdown of -56.73%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LOW and GWW.
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Drawdown Indicators
| LOW | GWW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -62.52% | -56.73% | -5.79% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -27.75% | -15.00% | -12.75% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -27.75% | -24.50% | -3.25% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -33.86% | -24.50% | -9.36% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -48.63% | -41.60% | -7.03% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -27.29% | 0.00% | -27.29% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -16.60% | -11.01% | -5.59% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 11.96% | 8.29% | +3.67% |
Volatility
LOW vs. GWW - Volatility Comparison
Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW) has a higher volatility of 6.36% compared to W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) at 4.56%. This indicates that LOW'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.
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Volatility by Period
| LOW | GWW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 6.36% | 4.56% | +1.80% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 19.88% | 18.19% | +1.69% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 25.77% | 24.80% | +0.97% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 26.15% | 24.67% | +1.48% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 29.14% | 28.54% | +0.60% |
Dividends
LOW vs. GWW - Dividend Comparison
LOW's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.31%, more than GWW's 0.71% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GWW W.W. Grainger, Inc. | 0.71% | 0.88% | 0.76% | 0.88% | 1.22% | 1.23% | 1.45% | 1.68% | 1.90% | 2.14% | 2.08% | 2.27% |
LOW Lowe's Companies, Inc. | 2.31% | 1.95% | 1.82% | 1.93% | 1.86% | 1.08% | 1.40% | 1.72% | 1.93% | 1.64% | 1.77% | 1.34% |
Financials
LOW vs. GWW - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Lowe's Companies, Inc. and W.W. Grainger, Inc.. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
LOW vs. GWW - Profitability Comparison
LOW - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Lowe's Companies, Inc. reported a gross profit of 7.54B and revenue of 23.08B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 32.7%.
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%.
LOW - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Lowe's Companies, Inc. reported an operating income of 2.55B and revenue of 23.08B, resulting in an operating margin of 11.1%.
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%.
LOW - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Lowe's Companies, Inc. reported a net income of 1.63B and revenue of 23.08B, resulting in a net margin of 7.1%.
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
LOW and GWW have a correlation of 0.41, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
LOW has higher volatility (6.36%) compared to GWW (4.56%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LOW dropped -62.52% vs GWW's -56.73%.
GWW currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.82 vs -0.23), 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.
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