W.W. Grainger Inc.

Sales Growth and Performance: Grainger reported a 4.2% increase in daily sales for Q4 2024, totaling over $17.2 billion in annual sales, with organic constant currency growth of 4.7%. This growth included a profitable share gain of approximately 100 basis points in its High-Touch Solutions U.S. business, outperforming the overall MRO market, which grew between 2% and 2.5%.

Guidance for 2025: For 2025, Grainger expects total revenue between $17.6 billion and $18.1 billion, reflecting a daily constant currency sales growth of 4% to 6.5%. The High-Touch Solutions segment anticipates growth of 2.5% to 4.5%, while the Endless Assortment segment is projected to grow between 11% and 15%. This guidance assumes market volume growth for MRO remains muted, consistent with 2024, reflecting sector challenges.

Margin Expectations: Operating margins for the total company are expected to remain robust, projected between 15.1% and 15.5%. However, for the High-Touch Solutions segment, margins are forecasted to contract slightly to between 17% and 17.4%, due to stable gross margins and higher SG&A expenses resulting from ongoing investments in growth initiatives.