RS vs. SHW
RS (Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.) and SHW (The Sherwin-Williams Company) are both stocks. Both are in the Basic Materials sector — RS in Steel, SHW in Specialty Chemicals. Over the past 10 years, RS returned 18.77%/yr vs 13.65%/yr for SHW. At a 0.34 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
RS vs. SHW - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, RS achieves a 32.26% return, which is significantly higher than SHW's 3.57% return. Over the past 10 years, RS has outperformed SHW with an annualized return of 18.77%, while SHW has yielded a comparatively lower 13.65% annualized return.
RS
- 1D
- 0.72%
- 1M
- -8.27%
- 6M
- 23.71%
- YTD
- 32.26%
- 1Y
- 17.32%
- 3Y*
- 12.05%
- 5Y*
- 22.07%
- 10Y*
- 18.77%
SHW
- 1D
- 0.59%
- 1M
- 5.26%
- 6M
- -5.01%
- YTD
- 3.57%
- 1Y
- -2.55%
- 3Y*
- 9.48%
- 5Y*
- 4.81%
- 10Y*
- 13.65%
RS vs. SHW - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RS Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. | 32.26% | 9.12% | -2.33% | 40.29% | 27.08% | 37.84% | 2.42% | 72.21% | -15.12% | 10.49% |
SHW The Sherwin-Williams Company | 3.57% | -3.83% | 9.90% | 32.73% | -31.96% | 44.90% | 27.05% | 49.70% | -3.23% | 54.11% |
Correlation
The correlation between RS and SHW is 0.39, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.39 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.43 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.40 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.41 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 16, 1994 | 0.34 |
Fundamentals
RS:
$19.36B
SHW:
$82.37B
RS:
$14.06
SHW:
$10.45
RS:
26.98
SHW:
31.95
RS:
1.40
SHW:
3.47
RS:
$14.29B
SHW:
$23.94B
RS:
$3.90B
SHW:
$11.76B
RS:
$1.30B
SHW:
$4.29B
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Return for Risk
RS vs. SHW — Risk / Return Rank
RS
SHW
RS vs. SHW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (RS) 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.
| RS | SHW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.77 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.02 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.13 | 0.99 | +0.14 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.72 | -0.20 | +0.91 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.22 | -0.40 | +1.62 |
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Drawdowns
RS vs. SHW - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum RS drawdown since its inception was -83.80%, which is greater than SHW's maximum drawdown of -52.02%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for RS and SHW.
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Drawdown Indicators
| RS | SHW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -83.80% | -52.02% | -31.78% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -22.30% | -21.36% | -0.94% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -22.30% | -25.69% | +3.39% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -22.32% | -42.46% | +20.14% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -40.83% | -42.46% | +1.63% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -8.27% | -15.29% | +7.02% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -16.45% | -11.64% | -4.81% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 13.02% | 10.60% | +2.42% |
Volatility
RS vs. SHW - Volatility Comparison
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (RS) has a higher volatility of 9.39% compared to The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW) at 8.83%. This indicates that RS'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
| RS | SHW | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 9.39% | 8.83% | +0.56% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 18.38% | 20.14% | -1.76% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 26.29% | 25.21% | +1.08% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 27.92% | 26.42% | +1.50% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 29.63% | 26.64% | +2.99% |
Dividends
RS vs. SHW - Dividend Comparison
RS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.29%, more than SHW's 0.95% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RS Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. | 1.29% | 1.66% | 1.63% | 1.43% | 1.73% | 1.70% | 2.09% | 1.84% | 2.81% | 2.10% | 2.07% | 2.76% |
SHW The Sherwin-Williams Company | 0.95% | 0.98% | 0.84% | 0.78% | 1.01% | 0.62% | 0.73% | 0.77% | 0.87% | 0.83% | 1.25% | 1.03% |
Financials
RS vs. SHW - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. 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
RS vs. SHW - Profitability Comparison
RS - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. reported a gross profit of 885.40M and revenue of 3.50B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 25.3%.
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%.
RS - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. reported an operating income of 176.20M and revenue of 3.50B, resulting in an operating margin of 5.0%.
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%.
RS - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. reported a net income of 116.50M and revenue of 3.50B, resulting in a net margin of 3.3%.
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
RS and SHW have a correlation of 0.39, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
RS has higher volatility (9.39%) compared to SHW (8.83%). In terms of maximum drawdown, RS dropped -83.80% vs SHW's -52.02%.
RS currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.61 vs -0.17), 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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