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Side-by-side financial comparison of W. W. Grainger (GWW) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

W. W. Grainger is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($4.4B vs $4.2B, roughly 1.1× Kimberly-Clark). Kimberly-Clark runs the higher net margin — 16.2% vs 10.2%, a 6.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, W. W. Grainger posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (4.5% vs 2.7%). Over the past eight quarters, W. W. Grainger's revenue compounded faster (2.2% CAGR vs -9.0%).

W. W. Grainger, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 industrial supply company founded in 1927 in Chicago by the company's namesake William W. (Bill) Grainger. He founded the company to provide consumers with access to a consistent supply of motors. The company now serves more than 4.5 million customers worldwide with offerings such as motors, lighting, material handling, fasteners, plumbing, tools, and safety supplies, along with inventory management services and technical support.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation is an American multinational consumer goods and personal care corporation that produces mostly paper-based consumer products. The company manufactures sanitary paper products and surgical & medical instruments. Kimberly-Clark brand name products include Kleenex facial tissue, Kotex feminine hygiene products, Cottonelle, Scott and Andrex toilet paper, Wypall utility wipes, KimWipes scientific cleaning wipes and Huggies disposable diapers and baby wipes.

GWW vs KMB — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
GWW
GWW
1.1× larger
GWW
$4.4B
$4.2B
KMB
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
GWW
GWW
+1.8% gap
GWW
4.5%
2.7%
KMB
Higher net margin
KMB
KMB
6.0% more per $
KMB
16.2%
10.2%
GWW
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
GWW
GWW
Annualised
GWW
2.2%
-9.0%
KMB

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Revenue
$4.4B
$4.2B
Net Profit
$451.0M
$675.0M
Gross Margin
39.5%
36.8%
Operating Margin
14.3%
18.1%
Net Margin
10.2%
16.2%
Revenue YoY
4.5%
2.7%
Net Profit YoY
-5.1%
17.3%
EPS (diluted)
$9.45
$2.00

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Q1 26
$4.2B
Q4 25
$4.4B
$3.3B
Q3 25
$4.7B
$4.2B
Q2 25
$4.6B
$4.2B
Q1 25
$4.3B
$4.8B
Q4 24
$4.2B
$4.9B
Q3 24
$4.4B
$5.0B
Q2 24
$4.3B
$5.0B
Net Profit
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Q1 26
$675.0M
Q4 25
$451.0M
$499.0M
Q3 25
$294.0M
$446.0M
Q2 25
$482.0M
$509.0M
Q1 25
$479.0M
$567.0M
Q4 24
$475.0M
$447.0M
Q3 24
$486.0M
$907.0M
Q2 24
$470.0M
$544.0M
Gross Margin
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Q1 26
36.8%
Q4 25
39.5%
37.7%
Q3 25
38.6%
36.0%
Q2 25
38.5%
35.0%
Q1 25
39.7%
35.8%
Q4 24
39.6%
34.0%
Q3 24
39.2%
36.0%
Q2 24
39.3%
36.0%
Operating Margin
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Q1 26
18.1%
Q4 25
14.3%
11.2%
Q3 25
11.0%
15.0%
Q2 25
14.9%
14.2%
Q1 25
15.6%
15.9%
Q4 24
15.0%
11.1%
Q3 24
15.6%
23.3%
Q2 24
15.1%
13.0%
Net Margin
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Q1 26
16.2%
Q4 25
10.2%
15.1%
Q3 25
6.3%
10.7%
Q2 25
10.6%
12.2%
Q1 25
11.1%
11.7%
Q4 24
11.2%
9.1%
Q3 24
11.1%
18.3%
Q2 24
10.9%
10.8%
EPS (diluted)
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Q1 26
$2.00
Q4 25
$9.45
$1.50
Q3 25
$6.12
$1.34
Q2 25
$9.97
$1.53
Q1 25
$9.86
$1.70
Q4 24
$9.71
$1.34
Q3 24
$9.87
$2.69
Q2 24
$9.51
$1.61

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$585.0M
$542.0K
Total DebtLower is stronger
$2.5B
$6.5M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$3.7B
$1.9M
Total Assets
$9.0B
$17.2M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.67×
3.38×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Q1 26
$542.0K
Q4 25
$585.0M
$688.0M
Q3 25
$535.0M
$617.0M
Q2 25
$597.0M
$634.0M
Q1 25
$666.0M
$563.0M
Q4 24
$1.0B
$1.0B
Q3 24
$1.4B
$1.1B
Q2 24
$769.0M
$1.2B
Total Debt
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Q1 26
$6.5M
Q4 25
$2.5B
$6.5B
Q3 25
$2.4B
$6.5B
Q2 25
$2.3B
$6.5B
Q1 25
$2.3B
$6.5B
Q4 24
$2.8B
$6.9B
Q3 24
$2.3B
$6.9B
Q2 24
$1.8B
$7.2B
Stockholders' Equity
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Q1 26
$1.9M
Q4 25
$3.7B
$1.5B
Q3 25
$3.6B
$1.3B
Q2 25
$3.7B
$1.3B
Q1 25
$3.5B
$1.1B
Q4 24
$3.4B
$840.0M
Q3 24
$3.5B
$1.3B
Q2 24
$3.3B
$1.1B
Total Assets
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Q1 26
$17.2M
Q4 25
$9.0B
$17.1B
Q3 25
$8.8B
$16.9B
Q2 25
$8.9B
$16.8B
Q1 25
$8.7B
$16.3B
Q4 24
$8.8B
$16.5B
Q3 24
$9.1B
$17.2B
Q2 24
$8.4B
$17.3B
Debt / Equity
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Q1 26
3.38×
Q4 25
0.67×
4.31×
Q3 25
0.67×
4.86×
Q2 25
0.64×
5.09×
Q1 25
0.66×
5.89×
Q4 24
0.83×
8.18×
Q3 24
0.65×
5.36×
Q2 24
0.54×
6.30×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$395.0M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$269.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
6.1%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.8%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.88×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$1.3B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Q1 26
Q4 25
$395.0M
$972.0M
Q3 25
$597.0M
$708.0M
Q2 25
$377.0M
$770.0M
Q1 25
$646.0M
$327.0M
Q4 24
$428.0M
$817.0M
Q3 24
$611.0M
$958.0M
Q2 24
$411.0M
$1.0B
Free Cash Flow
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Q1 26
Q4 25
$269.0M
$575.0M
Q3 25
$339.0M
$368.0M
Q2 25
$202.0M
$573.0M
Q1 25
$521.0M
$123.0M
Q4 24
$170.0M
$608.0M
Q3 24
$523.0M
$798.0M
Q2 24
$335.0M
$863.0M
FCF Margin
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Q1 26
Q4 25
6.1%
17.5%
Q3 25
7.3%
8.9%
Q2 25
4.4%
13.8%
Q1 25
12.1%
2.5%
Q4 24
4.0%
12.3%
Q3 24
11.9%
16.1%
Q2 24
7.8%
17.2%
Capex Intensity
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Q1 26
Q4 25
2.8%
12.1%
Q3 25
5.5%
8.2%
Q2 25
3.8%
4.7%
Q1 25
2.9%
4.2%
Q4 24
6.1%
4.2%
Q3 24
2.0%
3.2%
Q2 24
1.8%
3.1%
Cash Conversion
GWW
GWW
KMB
KMB
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.88×
1.95×
Q3 25
2.03×
1.59×
Q2 25
0.78×
1.51×
Q1 25
1.35×
0.58×
Q4 24
0.90×
1.83×
Q3 24
1.26×
1.06×
Q2 24
0.87×
1.88×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

GWW
GWW

Segment breakdown not available.

KMB
KMB

NA$2.7B64%
IPC$1.5B36%

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