Grafton Group plc (GFTU.L)
Grafton Group runs the builder's merchants and DIY stores where local tradespeople pick up timber, bricks, and tools each morning.
Is Grafton Group plc a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Well-known brands that tradespeople trust and visit regularly. Worth weighing: Profit margins are relatively slim, leaving 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. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Grafton Group plc actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Grafton Group plc fell as much as −27% 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.
Successful expansion of merchant branches and smart digital ordering pay off handsomely.
Online-only rivals chip away at traditional branch customer loyalty.
What does Grafton Group plc do?
Ever popped into Selco or local timber yards to fix up a kitchen or build an extension? That is Grafton at work, supplying materials to builders, plumbers, and decorators mostly across the UK and Ireland. The takings come from buying supplies in bulk and selling them on to trade professionals who need them right away. The big thing to keep an eye on is how busy the housing and home-renovation market is, as it directly drives their daily sales.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on income and value, and weakest on quality.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 3.9% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 11% over the year
- ✓Low debt - a sturdier balance sheet
- Income screens high (73/100)
- Well-known brands that tradespeople trust and visit regularly
- Solid cash generation supporting a regular dividend payout
- Balanced presence across the UK and Ireland
- A sharp slowdown in housing repairs and new builds
- Rising costs for transporting and storing heavy building supplies
- Economic pressures dampening consumer and trade confidence
What do Grafton Group plc's numbers mean?
Does Grafton Group plc pay a dividend?
Yes - Grafton Group plc currently pays a dividend of about 3.9% 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 Grafton Group plc'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 Grafton Group plc report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Grafton Group plc is next scheduled to report on about 2026-09-03 - 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.
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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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 Grafton Group plc?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Well-known brands that tradespeople trust and visit regularly
- Solid cash generation supporting a regular dividend payout
- Balanced presence across the UK and Ireland
- Profit margins are relatively slim, leaving little room for error
- Highly sensitive to the ups and downs of the property market
- Fierce competition from other large builders' merchants
- A sharp slowdown in housing repairs and new builds
- Rising costs for transporting and storing heavy building supplies
- Economic pressures dampening consumer and trade confidence
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A prolonged slump in UK and Irish property transactions
- A sharp, permanent drop in profit margins due to rising operational costs
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.