CDW Corporation (CDW)
CDW delivers the laptops, servers, and cybersecurity gear that keep businesses and schools running smoothly.
Is CDW Corporation a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Trusted middleman for major technology brands. Worth weighing: Thin net profit margins leave little room for error. Below, we lay out what it does, what its numbers mean, and the honest risks, so you can decide for yourself.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has CDW Corporation actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, CDW Corporation fell as much as −57% from a high to a later low. Drops of this size are a normal part of owning a share - worth knowing in advance, so a dip doesn't come as a shock.
Worst peak-to-trough fall in the daily closing price over the period we hold. Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
CDW cements its spot as the go-to digital partner for hybrid workplaces.
Direct-to-customer manufacturer sales gradually bypass middlemen like CDW.
What does CDW Corporation do?
When a hospital or university needs to kit out hundreds of offices with new computers and secure networks, they often call CDW to bundle the hardware and software together. The company pockets a margin on the tech products it resells alongside ongoing IT services. Keep an eye on how corporate spending on technology shifts as the wider economy bounces around.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on momentum and value, and weakest on quality.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 1.7% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 9% over the year
- !Carries a lot of debt - roughly 2.4x its equity
- ✓Strong return on shareholder money (ROE 44%)
- Trusted middleman for major technology brands
- Strong return on equity showing efficient use of funds
- Long-standing relationships with large corporate and public sector clients
- Economic slowdowns cause firms to freeze hardware upgrades
- Supply chain snags could delay product fulfillment
- Price wars among hardware makers can squeeze reseller margins
What do CDW Corporation's numbers mean?
How much money does CDW Corporation make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does CDW Corporation pay a dividend?
Yes - CDW Corporation currently pays a dividend of about 1.7% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
What do the numbers say about CDW Corporation's dividend?
There's no rating here, and we don't judge whether the dividend will continue - that would be advice. Here are the figures income investors usually look at, and what each one means, so you can weigh it up yourself.
Figures are from the latest available data and can be distorted by one-off results. Past payments don't predict future ones, and a dividend can be cut at any time. This lays out the numbers to help you understand them - it is not a view on what will happen.
When does CDW Corporation report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
CDW Corporation is next scheduled to report on about 2026-08-05 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-06 | $2.29 | $2.28 | In line |
| 2026-02-04 | $2.44 | $2.57 | Beat +5% |
| 2025-11-04 | $2.62 | $2.71 | Beat +3% |
| 2025-08-06 | $2.49 | $2.60 | Beat +4% |
| 2025-05-07 | $1.96 | $2.15 | Beat +10% |
| 2025-02-05 | $2.32 | $2.48 | Beat +7% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, CDW Corporation came in ahead of what analysts expected 5 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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Hewlett Packard EnterpriseWhat are the scenarios for CDW Corporation?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of CDW Corporation?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Trusted middleman for major technology brands
- Strong return on equity: How much profit the company makes for each £1 shareholders have put in. Higher usually means a more efficient business. showing efficient use of funds
- Long-standing relationships with large corporate and public sector clients
- Thin net profit margins leave little room for error
- Relies heavily on businesses keeping their IT budgets open
- Reselling hardware is a fiercely competitive space
- Economic slowdowns cause firms to freeze hardware upgrades
- Supply chain snags could delay product fulfillment
- Price wars among hardware makers can squeeze reseller margins
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- Multiple consecutive quarters of declining corporate IT orders
- A sharp, permanent drop in gross margins below historical norms
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.