The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW) vs Vulcan Materials Company (VMC)
VMC leads on 10 of 17 compared metrics, though SHW is the cheaper stock.
A side-by-side comparison of The Sherwin-Williams Company and Vulcan Materials Company across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 14, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).
SHW
The Sherwin-Williams Company
$317.30Basic Materials
VMC
Vulcan Materials Company
$286.47Basic Materials
Total return — SHW vs VMC
growth of $100 · last 30ySHW +4300.8%VMC +1388.2%SHW compounded faster
SHW VMC
SHW vs VMC: by the numbers
- •SHW is the larger company ($78.26B vs $37.17B market cap).
- •SHW trades at the lower earnings multiple (30.45 vs 34.06 P/E).
- •VMC converts more revenue to profit (13.88% vs 10.86% net margin).
- •VMC grew revenue faster over the past five years (10.56% vs 4.87% CAGR).
- •SHW pays the higher dividend yield (1.00% vs 0.71%).
Which is better, SHW or VMC?
Metric tally: SHW 7 · VMC 10It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueSHW(lower P/E)
GrowthVMC(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeSHW(higher dividend yield)
QualitySHW(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | SHW | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 30.45● | 34.06 |
| Forward P/E | 27.07 | 26.49● |
| P/S ratio | 3.29● | 4.69 |
| P/B ratio | 17.77 | 4.47● |
| PEG ratio | 4.52 | 1.90● |
| EV / EBITDA | 20.64 | 16.47● |
| FCF yield | 3.69%● | 2.95% |
Profitability
| Metric | SHW | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 49.12%● | 27.61% |
| Operating margin | 16.13% | 20.62%● |
| Net margin | 10.86% | 13.88%● |
| ROE | 58.66%● | 13.22% |
| ROIC | 15.21%● | 8.02% |
Dividends
| Metric | SHW | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 1.00%● | 0.71% |
| Payout ratio | 30.64% | 24.79% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | SHW | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 4.87% | 10.56%● |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 6.74% | 13.07%● |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | -2.44% | 5.93%● |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 3.70% | 11.33%● |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, SHW or VMC?
- It depends on your goal. value: SHW (lower P/E); growth: VMC (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: SHW (higher dividend yield); quality: SHW (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, VMC leads 10 to 7.
- Is SHW or VMC cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, SHW is cheaper: SHW trades at a 30.45 P/E and VMC at 34.06.
- Which has grown faster, SHW or VMC?
- Over the past five years, VMC grew revenue faster — SHW at a 4.87% CAGR versus VMC at 10.56%.
- Does SHW or VMC pay a bigger dividend?
- SHW yields 1.00% and VMC yields 0.71% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is SHW or VMC more profitable?
- VMC runs the higher net margin — SHW at 10.86% versus VMC at 13.88%.
- Which has been the better investment, SHW or VMC?
- Over the past 10-year, SHW delivered the higher annualized total return — SHW at 13.58% versus VMC at 10.45%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Sherwin-Williams P/E ratioVulcan Materials P/E ratioSherwin-Williams dividend yieldVulcan Materials dividend yieldSherwin-Williams ROEVulcan Materials ROESherwin-Williams operating marginVulcan Materials operating marginSherwin-Williams revenue growthVulcan Materials revenue growthSherwin-Williams free cash flowVulcan Materials free cash flow
Sherwin-Williams & Vulcan Materials appear in these rankings
Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 14, 2026.