W. W. Grainger
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W. W. Grainger, Inc. is an American industrial supply distribution company with offerings such as motors, lighting, material handling, fasteners, plumbing, tools, and safety supplies.

W. W. Grainger - 10-Q quarterly report FY


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33 Pages Complete



QUARTERLY REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549


FORM 10-Q

---------------------------


X Quarterly Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the period ended September 30, 1995

or

Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the transition period from
_____________ to _______________

________________________________

Commission file number 1-5684

I.R.S. Employer Identification Number 36-1150280

W.W. Grainger, Inc.
(an Illinois Corporation)
5500 W. Howard St.
Skokie, IL. 60077-2699
Telephone: (708) 982-9000


Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports
required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that
the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been
subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes X No

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuers classes
of common stock, as of the latest practicable date: 50,856,218 shares of
the Company's Common Stock were outstanding as of October 31, 1995.

(1)
Part I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

W.W. Grainger, Inc. and Subsidiaries
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS
(In thousands of dollars except for per share amounts)
(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended Sept 30, Nine Months Ended Sept 30,
1995 1994 1995 1994
Net sales $849,963 $779,300 $2,470,308 $2,254,223

Cost of
merchandise sold 548,951 505,764 1,591,170 1,456,269
-------- -------- --------- ---------
Gross profit 301,012 273,536 879,138 797,954

Warehousing, marketing,
and administrative
expenses 216,896 199,482 649,517 581,838

Restructuring charges - 779 - 1,446
------- ------- ------- -------
Total operating
expenses 216,896 200,261 649,517 583,284
------- ------- ------- -------
Operating earnings 84,116 73,275 229,621 214,670

Other income or (deductions)
Interest income 1 - 158 14
Interest expense (1,564) (503) (2,727) (1,513)
Unclassified-net (387) (671) (483) (598)
------- ------- ------- --------
(1,950) (1,174) (3,052) (2,097)
------- ------- ------- --------
Earnings before
income taxes 82,166 72,101 226,569 212,573

Income taxes 33,031 29,056 91,081 85,666
------- ------- ------- -------
Net earnings $49,135 $43,045 $135,488 $126,907
======= ======= ======== ========
Net earnings per common
and common equivalent
share $0.96 $0.84 $2.65 $2.48
===== ===== ===== =====
Average number of common
and common equivalent
shares outstanding 51,225,001 51,269,001 51,220,289 51,253,260
========== ========== ========== ==========
Cash dividends paid
per share $0.23 $0.20 $0.66 $0.58
===== ===== ===== =====
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
(2)
W.W. Grainger, Inc. and Subsidiaries
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands of dollars)
(Unaudited)

ASSETS Sept 30, 1995 Dec 31, 1994
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents $ 22,885 $ 15,292
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful
accounts of $17,816 in 1995 and $15,333 in 1994 394,374 345,793
Inventories 597,869 519,966
Prepaid expenses 15,280 14,233
Deferred income tax benefits 68,243 68,362
-------- ---------
Total current assets 1,098,651 963,646
PROPERTY, BUILDINGS, AND EQUIPMENT 869,653 810,217
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization 365,987 341,075
--------- ---------
Property, buildings, and equipment-net 503,666 469,142
OTHER ASSETS 92,253 101,963
--------- ---------
TOTAL ASSETS $1,694,570 $1,534,751
========== ==========
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Short-term debt $ 105,315 $ 11,134
Current maturities of long-term debt 28,109 26,449
Trade accounts payable 208,866 226,459
Accrued liabilities 150,729 172,359
Income taxes 21,994 22,650
---------- ----------
Total current liabilities 515,013 459,051
LONG-TERM DEBT (less current maturities) 4,405 1,023
DEFERRED INCOME TAXES 9,096 15,177
ACCRUED EMPLOYMENT RELATED BENEFITS COSTS 29,858 26,695
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Cumulative Preferred Stock - $5.00
par value - authorized 6,000,000 shares,
issued and outstanding, none - -
Common Stock - $0.50 par value - authorized
150,000,000 shares, issued and outstanding,
50,836,421 shares in 1995 and 50,749,681 shares
in 1994 25,418 25,375
Additional contributed capital 83,155 81,796
Unearned restricted stock compensation (28) (61)
Retained earnings 1,027,653 925,695
--------- -------
Total shareholders' equity 1,136,198 1,032,805
--------- ---------
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY $1,694,570 $1,534,751
========== ==========

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
(3)
W.W. Grainger, Inc. and Subsidiaries
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands of dollars)
(Unaudited)
Nine Months Ended Sept 30,
1995 1994
Cash flows from operations:
Net earnings $135,488 $126,907
Provision for losses on accounts receivable 8,862 7,410
Depreciation and amortization:
Property, buildings, and equipment 43,868 39,613
Intangibles and goodwill 10,481 12,988
Restructuring charges - non-cash - 1,266
Change in operating assets and liabilities
net of effect of restructuring charges:
(Increase) in accounts receivable (57,443) (65,033)
(Increase) in inventories (77,903) (61,756)
(Increase) in prepaid expenses (1,047) (5,640)
(Decrease) increase in trade
accounts payable (17,593) 56,983
(Decrease) increase in other current liabilities (21,630) 1,818
(Decrease) in current income taxes payable (656) (6,711)
Increase in accrued employment related
benefits costs 3,163 3,078
(Decrease) in deferred income taxes (5,962) (6,504)
Other-net (53) (51)
------- -------
Net cash provided by operating activities 19,575 104,368
------- -------
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions to property, buildings, and
equipment - net of dispositions (78,925) (71,830)
Other - net (153) 78
------- -------
Net cash (used in) investing activities (79,078) (71,752)
------- --------
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net proceeds from short-term debt 94,181 5,596
Proceeds from long-term debt 5,303 -
Long-term debt payments (260) (356)
Stock incentive plan 1,402 1,070
Cash dividends paid (33,530) (29,420)
------- -------
Net cash provided by (used in)
financing activities 67,096 (23,110)
------- -------
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 7,593 9,506

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 15,292 2,572
------- -------
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 22,885 $ 12,078
======== ========
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
(4)




W.W. Grainger, Inc. and Subsidiaries
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)



1. BASIS OF STATEMENT PRESENTATION

The financial statements and the related notes are condensed and should be
read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related
notes for the year ended December 31, 1994, included in the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company
and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions are
eliminated from the consolidated financial statements.

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined
by the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method.

The unaudited financial information reflects all adjustments which are, in
the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the
statements contained herein.

Checks outstanding of $43,233,000 and $37,088,000 were included in trade
accounts payable at September 30, 1995 and December 31, 1994,
respectively.

2. DIVIDEND

On October 25, 1995, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend
of 23 cents per share, payable December 1, 1995 to shareholders of record
on November 6, 1995.


















(5)
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
CONDITION AND THE RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS



THREE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 1995 COMPARED WITH THE THREE MONTHS ENDED
SEPTEMBER 30, 1994:

Net Sales

Net sales of $849,963,000 in the 1995 third quarter increased 9.1% from
net sales of $779,300,000 for the comparable 1994 period. There were 63
sales days in the 1995 third quarter compared with 64 sales days in the
1994 third quarter. The year 1995 will have one less sales day than did
the year 1994 (254 versus 255).

The sales increase for the 1995 third quarter compared with the 1994 third
quarter was principally volume related. The volume increase primarily
represented the continuing effects of the Company's market initiatives and
an increase in sales of seasonal products. The market initiatives
included new product additions, the expansion of branch facilities, adding
Zone Distribution Centers (ZDCs), and the National Accounts program.

Daily sales to National Account customers within the Company's core
branch-based business increased about 23%, on a comparable basis, over the
1994 third quarter. Daily sales of seasonal products within the core
business increased about 24% over the 1994 third quarter. The core
business experienced selling price increases of about 1.9% when comparing
the third quarters of 1995 and 1994.
















(6)
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
CONDITION AND THE RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS


Net Earnings

Net earnings of $49,135,000 in the 1995 third quarter, increased 12.9%,
when compared with 1994 third quarter net earnings of $43,514,000 which
excluded the effect of after tax restructuring charges of $469,000. When
considering the effect of the restructuring charges, net earnings for the
1995 third quarter increased 14.1%. The net earnings increase of 12.9%
was higher than the increase in net sales primarily due to slightly higher
gross profit margins and to operating expenses increasing at a slower rate
than net sales.

The Company's gross profit margin increased by 0.31 percentage point for
the third quarter of 1995 as compared with the same 1994 period. This
change was primarily related to the following 2 factors:

1. A favorable product mix effect in non-seasonal product categories,
partially offset by increased sales of seasonal products. The sales of
seasonal products historically have had lower than average gross profit
margins.

2. Partially offsetting the above effect was an unfavorable change in
selling price category mix which primarily resulted from the growth in
sales to National Accounts.

Warehousing, marketing, and administrative (operating) expenses increased
8.7% in the third quarter of 1995 when compared with the same period in
1994, excluding the effect of restructuring charges of $779,000 in 1994.
This increase was slightly lower than the increase in net sales.
Contributing to this favorable comparison were the following factors:

1. The increase in the rate of growth in net sales allowed the Company to
leverage its payroll costs.

2. Travel related expenses were lower in the 1995 period as compared with
the same 1994 period.

3. The Company experienced lower amortization of goodwill and other
acquisition related expenses associated with acquired and start-up
businesses.








(7)
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
CONDITION AND THE RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS


Net Earnings (continued)


Partially offsetting these favorable comparisons were higher payroll
related benefits costs and the Company's continuing investment in the
business infrastructure needed to support its market initiatives. Of note
were the following factors relating to infrastructure investments:

1. Increased data processing expenses related to the ongoing significant
upgrade and replacement of the branch order entry, order processing, and
inventory management system. This initiative will continue throughout
1995.

2. Increased expenses related to Grainger Integrated Supply Operations,
whose role is managing transactions for the Company and its best-in-class
distribution partners.

3. Increased expenses related to the continuing enhancement and
reconfiguration of the Company's logistics network. The quarter included
expenses related to the ongoing ramp-up of three additional ZDCs. Also
included were expenses associated with converting the Niles, Illinois
Regional Distribution Center to a National Distribution Center.

The Company's effective income tax rate for the third quarter of 1995 was
40.2% versus 40.3% in the comparable 1994 period.


















(8)
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
CONDITION AND THE RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS



NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 1995 COMPARED WITH THE NINE MONTHS ENDED
SEPTEMBER 30, 1994:

Net Sales

Net sales of $2,470,308,000 in the first nine months of 1995 increased
9.6% from net sales of $2,254,223,000 in the same 1994 period. There were
191 sales days in the 1995 nine month period versus 192 sales days in the
comparable 1994 period. The year 1995 will have one less sales day than
did the year 1994 (254 versus 255).

The sales increase for the first nine months of 1995 when compared with
the same 1994 period was principally volume related. The volume increase
can be explained primarily by the Company's market initiatives and the
growth in the national economy. Daily sales to National Account customers
within the core business increased about 23%, on a comparable basis, over
the same 1994 period. The core business experienced selling price
increases of about 1.3% when comparing the first nine month period for
each year.




















(9)







MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
CONDITION AND THE RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Net Earnings

Net earnings for the 1995 first nine months increased 5.6% to $135,488,000
when compared with 1994 net earnings of $128,288,000, which excluded the
effect of after tax restructuring charges of $1,381,000. When considering
the effect of the restructuring charges, net earnings for the 1995 first
nine months increased 6.8%. The net earnings increase of 5.6% was less
than the net sales increase primarily due to operating expenses increasing
at a faster rate than net sales, partially offset by slightly higher gross
profit margins.

The Company's gross profit margin increased by 0.15 percentage point for
the first nine months of 1995 as compared with the same 1994 period,
excluding the effect of restructuring charges of $847,000 in 1994. This
change in gross profit margin was primarily the result of the factors
discussed for the third quarter (see Third Quarter Net Earnings
discussion) with the following exception. The sales of seasonal products
had a positive effect on this nine month comparison. During the 1995 nine
month period, the sales of seasonal products grew at a slower rate than
all other products.

Warehousing, marketing, and administrative (operating) expenses for the
Company increased 11.6% for the first nine months of 1995 as compared with
the same 1994 period, excluding the effect of restructuring charges of
$1,446,000 in 1994. This increase was greater than the increase in net
sales primarily due to the following factors:

1. The Company's continuing investment in the business infrastructure to
support its market initiatives discussed for the third quarter (see Third
Quarter Net Earnings discussion).

2. Increased freight-out expenses resulting from several factors
including:
a. Proportionally more shipments qualifying for prepaid freight.
b. Proportionally more orders being transferred within the ZDC/branch
network. This resulted in orders being shipped longer distances.
These incremental expenses, by policy, were not billed to
customers.

Partially offsetting these unfavorable comparisons were payroll and
related benefits costs increasing somewhat slower than the rate of sales
growth and decreased amortization of goodwill and other acquisition
related costs associated with acquired and start-up businesses.

The Company's effective income tax rate for the nine months of 1995 was
40.2% versus 40.3% in the comparable 1994 period. The Company's effective
income tax rate for the full year 1994 would have been 40.4% without the
effects of the restructuring charges recorded during 1994.
(10)
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
CONDITION AND THE RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES



For the nine months ended September 30, 1995, working capital increased
$79,043,000. The ratio of current assets to current liabilities was 2.1
at September 30, 1995 and 2.1 at December 31, 1994. The Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows, included in this report, detail the sources and
uses of cash and cash equivalents.

The Company continues to maintain a low debt ratio and a strong liquidity
position, which provide flexibility in funding working capital needs and
long-term cash requirements. Total debt as a percent of shareholders'
equity was 12.1% at September 30, 1995 and 3.7% at December 31, 1994. For
the first nine months of 1995, $33,222,000 was expended for land,
buildings, and facilities improvements, and $45,854,000 for data
processing, office, and other equipment; for a total of $79,076,000.































(11)
W.W. Grainger, Inc. and Subsidiaries
PART II - OTHER INFORMATION



Items 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 not applicable


EXHIBIT INDEX



Item 6 Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K (numbered in
accordance with Item 601 of regulation S-K).

(a) Exhibits

(3)(ii) By-Laws, as amended October 25, 1995 14

(11) Computation of Earnings per Common and
Common Equivalent Share 32

(27) Financial Data Schedule 33

(b) Reports on Form 8-K - None.
























(12)
SIGNATURES



Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.




W.W. Grainger, Inc.
----------------------------------
(Registrant)




Date: November 9, 1995 By: /s/ J. D. Fluno
----------------------------------
J. D. Fluno, Vice Chairman




Date: November 9, 1995 By: /s/ P. O. Loux
----------------------------------
P. O. Loux, Vice President, Finance




Date: November 9, 1995 By: /s/ R. D. Pappano
-----------------------------------
R. D. Pappano, Vice President,
Financial Reporting and Investor
Relations












(13)