IFF vs. SHW
IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.) and SHW (The Sherwin-Williams Company) are both stocks. Both operate in the Specialty Chemicals industry within the Basic Materials sector. Over the past 10 years, IFF returned -4.11%/yr vs 13.47%/yr for SHW. At a 0.38 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
IFF vs. SHW - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, IFF achieves a 12.69% return, which is significantly higher than SHW's 2.01% return. Over the past 10 years, IFF has underperformed SHW with an annualized return of -4.11%, while SHW has yielded a comparatively higher 13.47% annualized return.
IFF
- 1D
- -3.13%
- 1M
- -3.54%
- 6M
- 10.13%
- YTD
- 12.69%
- 1Y
- 1.27%
- 3Y*
- 0.30%
- 5Y*
- -9.91%
- 10Y*
- -4.11%
SHW
- 1D
- -1.50%
- 1M
- 3.68%
- 6M
- -7.57%
- YTD
- 2.01%
- 1Y
- -4.01%
- 3Y*
- 8.15%
- 5Y*
- 4.44%
- 10Y*
- 13.47%
IFF vs. SHW - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IFF International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. | 12.69% | -18.43% | 6.26% | -19.47% | -28.35% | 41.55% | -15.64% | -3.91% | -12.02% | 29.52% |
SHW The Sherwin-Williams Company | 2.01% | -3.83% | 9.90% | 32.73% | -31.96% | 44.90% | 27.05% | 49.70% | -3.23% | 54.11% |
Correlation
The correlation between IFF and SHW is 0.52, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.52 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.50 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.51 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.47 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 1, 1985 | 0.38 |
The correlation between IFF and SHW shifts across timeframes, from 0.38 (all time) to 0.52 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
IFF:
$19.17B
SHW:
$81.14B
IFF:
$4.90
SHW:
$10.45
IFF:
15.34
SHW:
31.47
IFF:
1.19
SHW:
3.42
IFF:
$10.79B
SHW:
$23.94B
IFF:
$3.79B
SHW:
$11.76B
IFF:
$1.77B
SHW:
$4.29B
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Return for Risk
IFF vs. SHW — Risk / Return Rank
IFF
SHW
IFF vs. SHW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF) and The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| IFF | SHW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.20 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.39 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.04 | 0.99 | +0.04 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.06 | -0.19 | +0.25 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.10 | -0.38 | +0.48 |
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Drawdowns
IFF vs. SHW - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IFF drawdown since its inception was -87.25%, which is greater than SHW's maximum drawdown of -52.02%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IFF and SHW.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IFF | SHW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -87.25% | -52.02% | -35.23% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -22.61% | -21.36% | -1.25% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -42.63% | -25.69% | -16.94% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -57.42% | -42.46% | -14.96% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -57.42% | -42.46% | -14.96% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -45.22% | -16.57% | -28.65% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -37.29% | -11.64% | -25.65% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 12.74% | 10.60% | +2.14% |
Volatility
IFF vs. SHW - Volatility Comparison
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF) has a higher volatility of 9.92% compared to The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW) at 8.66%. This indicates that IFF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SHW based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| IFF | SHW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 9.92% | 8.66% | +1.26% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 28.63% | 19.99% | +8.64% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 34.86% | 25.25% | +9.61% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 32.02% | 26.44% | +5.58% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 30.48% | 26.66% | +3.82% |
Dividends
IFF vs. SHW - Dividend Comparison
IFF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.13%, more than SHW's 0.97% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IFF International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. | 2.13% | 2.37% | 1.89% | 4.00% | 3.05% | 2.07% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
SHW The Sherwin-Williams Company | 0.97% | 0.98% | 0.84% | 0.78% | 1.01% | 0.62% | 0.73% | 0.77% | 0.87% | 0.83% | 1.25% | 1.03% |
Financials
IFF vs. SHW - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. and The Sherwin-Williams Company. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
IFF vs. SHW - Profitability Comparison
IFF - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. reported a gross profit of 1.02B and revenue of 2.74B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 37.1%.
SHW - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, The Sherwin-Williams Company reported a gross profit of 2.78B and revenue of 5.67B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 49.1%.
IFF - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. reported an operating income of 273.00M and revenue of 2.74B, resulting in an operating margin of 10.0%.
SHW - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, The Sherwin-Williams Company reported an operating income of 810.90M and revenue of 5.67B, resulting in an operating margin of 14.3%.
IFF - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. reported a net income of 169.00M and revenue of 2.74B, resulting in a net margin of 6.2%.
SHW - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, The Sherwin-Williams Company reported a net income of 534.70M and revenue of 5.67B, resulting in a net margin of 9.4%.
Frequently Asked Questions
IFF and SHW have a correlation of 0.52, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
IFF has higher volatility (9.92%) compared to SHW (8.66%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IFF dropped -87.25% vs SHW's -52.02%.
IFF currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.04 vs -0.16), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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