GWW vs PNR: Dividend Comparison
Dividend data as of
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) and PENTAIR plc (PNR) are both in the Industrials sector, making them natural rivals for dividend investors. Both stocks offer similar yields — GWW at 0.74% and PNR at 1.01%. For dividend growth, GWW leads with a 5-year CAGR of 16.1% versus PNR's 13.6%. Both stocks carry a "Safe" dividend safety rating.
Verdict
Yield Analysis
PNR yields 0.27% more than GWW. In dollar terms, GWW pays $8.83/share vs PNR's $1.00/share annually.
Dividend Growth
GWW: Dividend growth is accelerating — the 3-year CAGR of 25.8% exceeds the 5-year rate of 16.1% and the 10-year rate of 10.3%.
PNR: Dividend growth is accelerating — the 3-year CAGR of 23.1% exceeds the 5-year rate of 13.6% and the 10-year rate of 4.4%.
Dividend Safety
GWW: The payout ratio of 25% is well within sustainable levels, leaving room for future increases. Earnings cover the dividend 4.0x.
PNR: The payout ratio of 25% is well within sustainable levels, leaving room for future increases. Earnings cover the dividend 3.9x.
Estimated Annual Dividend Income
Based on current dividend yields. Actual income may vary.
What does $10,000 buy in GWW vs PNR today?
At $1139.68 per share, $10,000 buys about 8.8 shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW). Each share pays $8.83 per year in dividends, so the position starts out generating roughly $77 per year — about $6 a month.
At $101.30 per share, $10,000 buys about 98.7 shares of PENTAIR plc (PNR). Each share pays $1.00 per year in dividends, so the position starts out generating roughly $99 per year — about $8 a month.
PNR is the larger income stream from day one: $21 per year more on the same $10,000 invested.
What could $10,000 of GWW or PNR income look like in 10 years?
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) has raised its dividend about 16.1% a year over the past five years. If that pace held, the $74 per year that $10,000 generates today at the current 0.74% yield would reach $331 per year by 2036 — a 3.3% yield on the original cost.
PENTAIR plc (PNR) has raised its dividend about 13.6% a year over the past five years. If that pace held, the $101 per year that $10,000 generates today at the current 1.01% yield would reach $364 per year by 2036 — a 3.6% yield on the original cost.
On those trailing rates, PNR pays more in 2036: $364 versus $331 per year. The projection assumes each five-year growth rate persists and no dividends are reinvested — real payouts will differ.
When would GWW's dividend growth overtake PNR's higher yield?
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) yields less today (0.74% vs 1.01%) but has grown its dividend faster — 16.1% vs 13.6% a year over the past five years. If both trends continued, a $10,000 position in GWW would start out-earning the same position in PNR around 2041 (roughly 15 years from now), paying about $698 per year at the crossover. Before that point, PNR pays more each year; after it, the gap compounds in GWW's favor.
Can GWW and PNR afford their dividends?
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) earns $35.35 per share against $8.83 paid out in dividends — 4.0x coverage (a 25% payout ratio).
PENTAIR plc (PNR) earns $3.93 per share against $1.00 paid out in dividends — 3.9x coverage (a 25% payout ratio).
Coverage is similar for both, so neither dividend looks meaningfully more stretched than the other on current earnings.
Which fits an early-retirement income portfolio better, GWW or PNR?
For income you need right now, PENTAIR plc (PNR) leads: $100,000 invested today pays about $85 a month at the current 1.01% yield, versus $62 a month from W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) at 0.74%.
With a decade or more before the income is needed, GWW's faster dividend growth (16.1% vs 13.6% a year) matters more than the starting yield — raises compound into the larger paycheck over time.
Many income investors simply hold both — the mix pairs current yield with growth and spreads single-name risk. Whichever way you lean, dividends are never guaranteed; recheck the payout each quarter rather than setting and forgetting.
$10,000 with DRIP: projected annual income
If each holding keeps raising its dividend at its real 5-year rate and every payment is reinvested, a $10,000 position pays $356/yr in GWW vs $402/yr in PNR by year 10.
Assumes dividends are reinvested at the current yield and grow at each holding's trailing 5-year dividend CAGR. A projection, not a prediction — no price appreciation modeled.
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