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AIT or GWW or WSO
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Applied Industrial Technologies (AIT) vs. W.W. Grainger (GWW) vs. Watsco (WSO) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Watsco (WSO) leads year-to-date (YTD) performance at 29%, boosted by recent Q1 earnings beat and acquisition announcement.
- Applied Industrial Technologies (AIT) shows 18% YTD gains with recent earnings strength and analyst upgrades, trading near 52-week highs.
- W.W. Grainger (GWW) trails YTD at 13% but announced a 10% dividend increase, signaling confidence ahead of Q1 earnings.
- All three exhibit premium valuations with P/E ratios (price-to-earnings) above 25, reflecting sector growth expectations in industrial distribution.
- Recent market activity highlights resilience amid broader industrial momentum, with industrials-focused AI bots showing strong performance metrics.
Introduction
Applied Industrial Technologies (AIT), W.W. Grainger (GWW), and Watsco (WSO) are leading players in industrial distribution, serving maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) needs across manufacturing, HVAC, and fluid power sectors. This comparison analyzes their recent performance, valuations, and market positioning in the current environment of stabilizing demand and technological integration. Traders seeking sector exposure and long-term investors evaluating growth drivers in industrials will find insights into relative strengths, momentum, and risks amid economic recovery signals.
AIT Overview and Recent Performance
Applied Industrial Technologies (AIT), headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, distributes industrial bearings, power transmission components, fluid power systems, and automation solutions across North America and beyond. In recent market activity, AIT shares have climbed toward their 52-week high of $309.67, with a current price around $303 and YTD gains of 18%. Strength stems from robust quarterly earnings that exceeded expectations, driving a roughly 12-15% rise over recent weeks. Positive analyst sentiment, including "Buy" ratings and raised price targets to $350, reflects optimism around organic growth and market share gains in fluid power and automation amid industrial recovery. Lower beta of 0.82 indicates relative stability.
GWW Overview and Recent Performance
W.W. Grainger (GWW), based in Lake Forest, Illinois, is a broad-line distributor of MRO products, safety equipment, and tools, serving North America via high-touch and e-commerce channels. Shares trade around $1,141, within a 52-week range of $907-$1,219, with YTD performance at 13%. Recent weeks have seen modest gains of about 3%, supported by a 10% quarterly dividend hike to $2.49 per share and shareholder approvals at the annual meeting, where leadership highlighted 2025 growth and AI initiatives. Upcoming Q1 earnings are anticipated to show EPS growth of 3.5% and revenue up 6.1%, bolstering sentiment despite a higher beta of 1.04 signaling market sensitivity.
WSO Overview and Recent Performance
Watsco (WSO), Miami-based distributor of HVAC/R equipment, parts, and supplies, targets residential and commercial contractors across the Americas. Trading near $429 in a 52-week range of $323-$496, WSO boasts top YTD returns of 29% among peers. Recent performance reflects Q1 results surpassing estimates with $1.53 billion in flat but resilient sales, plus the acquisition of Jackson Supply Company to expand footprint. E-commerce growth and efficiency gains have fueled optimism, though shares dipped amid sector volatility; a 3% dividend yield and beta of 1.05 balance growth appeal.
Trending AI Robots
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Head-to-Head Comparison
AIT, GWW, and WSO operate in industrial distribution but diverge in focus: AIT emphasizes fluid power and automation, GWW offers broadest MRO assortment, and WSO specializes in HVAC with geographic scale. Growth drivers include WSO’s acquisitions and e-commerce surge versus AIT’s organic sales momentum. Recent momentum favors WSO (29% YTD) over AIT (18%) and GWW (13%), though GWW’s scale yields largest market cap ($54B vs. $17B WSO, $11B AIT). Risks involve cyclical demand; valuations are stretched (P/E 28-35 trailing), sensitive to rates. Sentiment tilts positive on earnings beats, with industrials exposure aligning to sector tailwinds.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI models would currently lean toward WSO for its superior trend consistency, YTD outperformance, recent earnings catalysts, and acquisition-driven positioning in HVAC demand recovery. While AIT offers stability and GWW dividend reliability, WSO’s momentum suggests higher probability of near-term upside in favorable industrial conditions.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
AIT’s FA Score shows that 2 FA rating(s) are green whileGWW’s FA Score has 4 green FA rating(s), and WSO’s FA Score reflects 0 green FA rating(s).
- AIT’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- GWW’s FA Score: 4 green, 1 red.
- WSO’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
AIT’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while GWW’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s), and WSO’s TA Score reflects 5 bullish TA indicator(s).
- AIT’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
- GWW’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 4 bearish.
- WSO’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
AIT (@Electronics Distributors) experienced а +2.16% price change this week, while GWW (@Electronics Distributors) price change was +7.57% , and WSO (@Electronics Distributors) price fluctuated +2.40% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Electronics Distributors industry was -0.02%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +2.38%, and the average quarterly price growth was +13.04%.
Reported Earning Dates
AIT is expected to report earnings on Aug 06, 2026.
GWW is expected to report earnings on Aug 04, 2026.
WSO is expected to report earnings on Aug 04, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Electronics Distributors (-0.02% weekly)Electronics distributors are companies that are involved in distribution of one or more of the following: electronic components, computer products/ peripherals and software products & services. Several electronics distributors are also becoming the point of contact for technical/pre- & post-sale support in many cases, in an attempt to bolster their position in the market. Tariffs and/or cross-border trade barriers are some of the potential threats to the electronics supply chain, but that could also potentially lead to re-directing to markets where tariffs/restrictions are lower depending on demand. The industry is also vulnerable in the event of economic slowdowns. Arrow Electronics, Inc., SYNNEX Corporation and Versum Materials, Inc. are some of the major electronics distributors in the U.S.
| AIT | GWW | WSO | |
| Capitalization | 11.5B | 57.9B | 17.4B |
| EBITDA | 612M | 2.88B | 736M |
| Gain YTD | 21.166 | 21.985 | 28.076 |
| P/E Ratio | 29.35 | 32.97 | 34.84 |
| Revenue | 4.84B | 18.4B | 7.24B |
| Total Cash | 172M | 585M | N/A |
| Total Debt | 365M | 2.86B | 479M |
AIT | GWW | WSO | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 20 | 63 | 82 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 84 Overvalued | 85 Overvalued | 41 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 12 | 13 | 55 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 43 | 20 | 50 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 44 | 33 | 50 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 27 | 31 | 57 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 90 | 65 | 49 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
WSO's Valuation (41) in the Building Products industry is somewhat better than the same rating for AIT (84) in the Wholesale Distributors industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for GWW (85) in the Wholesale Distributors industry. This means that WSO's stock grew somewhat faster than AIT’s and somewhat faster than GWW’s over the last 12 months.
AIT's Profit vs Risk Rating (12) in the Wholesale Distributors industry is in the same range as GWW (13) in the Wholesale Distributors industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for WSO (55) in the Building Products industry. This means that AIT's stock grew similarly to GWW’s and somewhat faster than WSO’s over the last 12 months.
GWW's SMR Rating (20) in the Wholesale Distributors industry is in the same range as AIT (43) in the Wholesale Distributors industry, and is in the same range as WSO (50) in the Building Products industry. This means that GWW's stock grew similarly to AIT’s and similarly to WSO’s over the last 12 months.
GWW's Price Growth Rating (33) in the Wholesale Distributors industry is in the same range as AIT (44) in the Wholesale Distributors industry, and is in the same range as WSO (50) in the Building Products industry. This means that GWW's stock grew similarly to AIT’s and similarly to WSO’s over the last 12 months.
AIT's P/E Growth Rating (27) in the Wholesale Distributors industry is in the same range as GWW (31) in the Wholesale Distributors industry, and is in the same range as WSO (57) in the Building Products industry. This means that AIT's stock grew similarly to GWW’s and similarly to WSO’s over the last 12 months.
| AIT | GWW | WSO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 59% | 2 days ago 42% | 2 days ago 79% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 61% | 2 days ago 54% | 2 days ago 77% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | N/A | 2 days ago 57% | 2 days ago 65% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | N/A | 2 days ago 68% | 2 days ago 63% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 63% | 2 days ago 59% | 2 days ago 64% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 64% | 2 days ago 58% | 2 days ago 61% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 7 days ago 62% | 6 days ago 58% | 7 days ago 68% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 49% | 2 days ago 51% | 5 days ago 65% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 62% | 2 days ago 57% | 2 days ago 71% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 64% | 2 days ago 45% | 2 days ago 54% |
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WSO and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, WSO has been loosely correlated with AIT. These tickers have moved in lockstep 57% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if WSO jumps, then AIT could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To WSO | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WSO | 100% | +0.99% | ||
| AIT - WSO | 57% Loosely correlated | +0.54% | ||
| POOL - WSO | 50% Loosely correlated | -1.60% | ||
| FERG - WSO | 49% Loosely correlated | +1.09% | ||
| MSM - WSO | 49% Loosely correlated | +2.92% | ||
| BXC - WSO | 49% Loosely correlated | -3.63% | ||
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