Competitive view
SHW vs. two close competitors
This section compares the current company against two nearby peers on valuation, growth, margins, balance-sheet strength, and investment setup. Green generally marks the strongest relative figure for that row, while red marks the weakest.
YouTube
Sherwin-Williams Co.
SHW
Latest video
Q1 2026
Growth is positive but not explosive, which usually supports a steadier compounding case than a hyper-growth story.
Profitability is serviceable, but it does not obviously dominate peers on margin or cash conversion alone.
Valuation sits in a middle zone where future upside likely depends more on quarterly execution than on multiple re-rating alone.
Balance-sheet leverage is elevated, so investors should watch refinancing costs and how much flexibility management really has.
YouTube
Latest video
Q1 2026
Growth is positive but not explosive, which usually supports a steadier compounding case than a hyper-growth story.
Profitability is serviceable, but it does not obviously dominate peers on margin or cash conversion alone.
Valuation sits in a middle zone where future upside likely depends more on quarterly execution than on multiple re-rating alone.
Risk profile looks relatively manageable compared with many peers, especially if operating execution remains stable.
YouTube
Air Products & Chemicals
APD
Latest video
Q2 FY2026
Growth is positive but not explosive, which usually supports a steadier compounding case than a hyper-growth story.
Profitability is serviceable, but it does not obviously dominate peers on margin or cash conversion alone.
Valuation sits in a middle zone where future upside likely depends more on quarterly execution than on multiple re-rating alone.
Balance-sheet leverage is elevated, so investors should watch refinancing costs and how much flexibility management really has.
Market Cap
More scale can mean deeper resources and resilience, although bigger does not automatically mean better upside.
SHW
$78.26B
Sherwin-Williams Co.
LIN
$242.07B
Linde PLC
APD
$62.71B
Air Products & Chemicals
Trailing P/E
Lower trailing P/E can indicate a cheaper valuation relative to trailing earnings, but it may also reflect slower growth or higher perceived risk.
SHW
30.5x
Sherwin-Williams Co.
LIN
34.7x
Linde PLC
APD
29.7x
Air Products & Chemicals
Forward P/E
Forward P/E is often a better read on what investors are paying for the next year of earnings power.
SHW
24.0x
Sherwin-Williams Co.
LIN
26.6x
Linde PLC
APD
19.8x
Air Products & Chemicals
Revenue Growth
Higher revenue growth usually signals stronger demand, market share gains, or a business still in expansion mode.
SHW
6.8%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
LIN
8.2%
Linde PLC
APD
8.8%
Air Products & Chemicals
Earnings Growth
Faster earnings growth matters because it shows management is converting sales momentum into shareholder value.
SHW
7.5%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
LIN
13.4%
Linde PLC
APD
—
Air Products & Chemicals
Operating Margin
Higher operating margin suggests better operating discipline, pricing power, or a structurally stronger business model.
SHW
14.2%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
LIN
28.5%
Linde PLC
APD
23.6%
Air Products & Chemicals
Gross Margin
Gross margin helps show how much product-level pricing power and unit economics a company has before overhead.
SHW
49.0%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
LIN
48.8%
Linde PLC
APD
32.0%
Air Products & Chemicals
Net Margin
Higher net margin means more of each dollar of revenue reaches the bottom line after all costs.
SHW
10.9%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
LIN
20.4%
Linde PLC
APD
16.9%
Air Products & Chemicals
Return on Equity
ROE shows how efficiently management turns shareholder capital into profits, though leverage can inflate it.
SHW
60.7%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
LIN
18.2%
Linde PLC
APD
12.4%
Air Products & Chemicals
Free Cash Flow Yield
Higher free cash flow yield can indicate a stronger cash return relative to the stock's market value.
SHW
2.7%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
LIN
1.9%
Linde PLC
APD
-5.6%
Air Products & Chemicals
Debt to Equity
Lower leverage usually means less balance-sheet risk, though capital-intensive sectors naturally run higher debt loads.
SHW
329.52x
Sherwin-Williams Co.
LIN
65.64x
Linde PLC
APD
101.61x
Air Products & Chemicals
Current Ratio
A stronger current ratio usually signals better short-term liquidity and more room to absorb shocks.
SHW
0.86x
Sherwin-Williams Co.
LIN
0.83x
Linde PLC
APD
1.43x
Air Products & Chemicals
Beta
Lower beta often means lower volatility versus the market, while higher beta usually brings a rougher ride.
SHW
1.13
Sherwin-Williams Co.
LIN
0.73
Linde PLC
APD
0.75
Air Products & Chemicals
Dividend Yield
Dividend yield matters for income-focused investors, but a high yield can also reflect a stressed stock price.
SHW
1.0%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
LIN
1.2%
Linde PLC
APD
2.6%
Air Products & Chemicals
Analyst Upside
Higher analyst upside suggests the Street still sees room between current price and consensus fair value.
SHW
17.5%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
LIN
4.2%
Linde PLC
APD
16.4%
Air Products & Chemicals