GWW

GWW delivers a strong Q3 earnings beat as double-digit sales growth, expanding margins and robust demand hike the 2026 guidance.

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

W.W. Grainger (GWW) came out with quarterly earnings of $12.54 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $11.64 per share. This compares to earnings of $10.21 per share a year ago.

While the top- and bottom-line numbers for W.W. Grainger (GWW) give a sense of how the business performed in the quarter ended September 2026, it could be worth looking at how some of its key metrics compare to Wall Street estimates and year-ago values.

Continued strong results across the business; Company increases full year 2026 earnings outlook Third Quarter Highlights Delivered sales of $5.2 billion, up 11.3%, or 14.9% on a daily, organic constant currency basis Achieved operating margin of 16.0% on a reported basis, up 500 basis points, or 16.1% on an adjusted basis, up 90 basis points, which excludes certain non-recurring items, notably the loss related to the Company's exit of the U.K. market in the prior year period Generated diluted EPS of $12.42 on a reported basis, up 102.9%, or $12.54 on an adjusted basis, up 22.8% Produced $661 million in operating cash flow and returned $396 million to Grainger shareholders through dividends and share repurchases Increasing full year 2026 earnings outlook, including diluted adjusted EPS range of $47.00 to $48.00 CHICAGO, Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Grainger (NYSE: GWW) today reported results for the third quarter of 2026 with sales of $5.2 billion, up 11.3%, or 14.9% on a daily, organic constant currency basis, and adjusted diluted EPS of $12.54, up 22.8% compared to the third quarter of 2025.  "The third quarter performance reflects our consistent execution and an improving demand environment," said D.G.

GWW heads into the Q3 earnings release with rising estimates and a strong earnings surprise record, while customer growth and cost pressures shape expectations.

Investors with an interest in Industrial Services stocks have likely encountered both Global Industrial (GIC) and W.W. Grainger (GWW).

Beyond analysts' top-and-bottom-line estimates for W.W. Grainger (GWW), evaluate projections for some of its key metrics to gain a better insight into how the business might have performed for the quarter ended September 2026.

Dividend Kings have outperformed SPY YTD, rising 13.5% versus SPY's 12.32%, with a strong October rebound. Twenty-six Dividend Kings appear both potentially undervalued and offer long-term annualized expected returns of at least 10%. Dividend growth for the Kings in 2026 averages 4.65%, with recent increases from GRC, NWN, and RPM.

Fastenal, Grainger, and MSC Industrial all profit from the same factory supply chain, but the dividend each pays comes with a very different tradeoff between yield, safety, and growth potential.