SHW vs. ACN

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

SHW (The Sherwin-Williams Company) and ACN (Accenture plc) are both stocks. SHW operates in Specialty Chemicals (Basic Materials), while ACN operates in Information Technology Services (Technology). Over the past 10 years, SHW returned 12.93%/yr vs 5.74%/yr for ACN. At a 0.40 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

SHW vs. ACN - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW) and Accenture plc (ACN). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SHW achieves a -7.11% return, which is significantly higher than ACN's -34.05% return. Over the past 10 years, SHW has outperformed ACN with an annualized return of 12.93%, while ACN has yielded a comparatively lower 5.74% annualized return.

SHW

• 1D: -1.88%
• 1M: -5.21%
• YTD: -7.11%
• 6M: -7.99%
• 1Y: -15.42%
• 3Y*: 8.51%
• 5Y*: 2.50%
• 10Y*: 12.93%

ACN

• 1D: -2.14%
• 1M: -3.32%
• YTD: -34.05%
• 6M: -33.61%
• 1Y: -43.66%
• 3Y*: -15.70%
• 5Y*: -7.59%
• 10Y*: 5.74%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

SHW vs. ACN - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SHW The Sherwin-Williams Company	-7.11%	-3.83%	9.90%	32.73%	-31.96%	44.90%	27.05%	49.70%	-3.23%	54.11%
ACN Accenture plc	-34.05%	-22.14%	1.86%	33.60%	-34.75%	60.67%	26.04%	51.21%	-6.23%	33.34%

Correlation

The correlation between SHW and ACN is 0.17, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.17
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.34
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.45
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.47
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 20, 2001	0.40

Over the past year, the correlation between SHW and ACN has dropped to 0.17 - well below their long-term average of 0.40, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Fundamentals

Market Cap SHW : $74.32B ACN : $108.61B
EPS SHW : $10.42 ACN : $12.27
PE Ratio SHW : 28.75 ACN : 14.21
PEG Ratio SHW : 2.80 ACN : 1.93
PS Ratio SHW : 3.12 ACN : 1.51
PB Ratio SHW : 16.77 ACN : 3.48
Total Revenue (TTM) SHW : $23.94B ACN : $72.11B
Gross Profit (TTM) SHW : $11.76B ACN : $23.06B
EBITDA (TTM) SHW : $4.29B ACN : $12.11B

Return for Risk

SHW vs. ACN — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

SHW

SHW Risk / Return Rank: 13
SHW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 15
SHW Sortino Ratio Rank: 15
SHW Omega Ratio Rank: 16
SHW Calmar Ratio Rank: 15
SHW Martin Ratio Rank: 5

ACN

ACN Risk / Return Rank: 4
ACN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2
ACN Sortino Ratio Rank: 3
ACN Omega Ratio Rank: 4
ACN Calmar Ratio Rank: 7
ACN Martin Ratio Rank: 4

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

SHW vs. ACN - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW) and Accenture plc (ACN). 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.

	SHW	ACN	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-0.63	-1.22	+0.59
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	-0.81	-1.85	+1.04
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.91	0.78	+0.13
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.72	-0.89	+0.17
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-1.52	-1.63	+0.10
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SHW vs. ACN - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SHW Sharpe Ratio is -0.63, which is higher than the ACN Sharpe Ratio of -1.22. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SHW and ACN, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	SHW	ACN	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.63	-1.22	+0.59
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.10	-0.27	+0.36
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.49	0.21	+0.28
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.54	0.40	+0.14

Drawdowns

SHW vs. ACN - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SHW drawdown since its inception was -52.02%, smaller than the maximum ACN drawdown of -59.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SHW and ACN.

Drawdown Indicators

	SHW	ACN	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-52.02%	-59.20%	+7.18%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-21.36%	-48.96%	+27.60%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-25.69%	-58.67%	+32.98%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-42.46%	-58.67%	+16.21%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-42.46%	-58.67%	+16.21%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-24.03%	-54.84%	+30.81%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.63%	-12.87%	+1.24%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	10.16%	26.88%	-16.72%

Volatility

SHW vs. ACN - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW) is 6.99%, while Accenture plc (ACN) has a volatility of 14.96%. This indicates that SHW experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ACN based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SHW	ACN	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.99%	14.96%	-7.97%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	18.56%	29.75%	-11.19%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	24.80%	36.02%	-11.22%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	26.15%	28.58%	-2.43%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	26.53%	26.87%	-0.34%

Dividends

SHW vs. ACN - Dividend Comparison

SHW's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.06%, less than ACN's 3.65% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ACN Accenture plc	3.65%	2.26%	1.52%	1.33%	1.51%	0.87%	1.26%	1.07%	1.98%	1.66%	1.97%	2.03%
SHW The Sherwin-Williams Company	1.06%	0.98%	0.84%	0.78%	1.01%	0.62%	0.73%	0.77%	0.87%	0.83%	1.25%	1.03%

Financials

SHW vs. ACN - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between The Sherwin-Williams Company and Accenture plc over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

SHW - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 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%.

ACN - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Accenture plc reported a gross profit of 5.46B and revenue of 18.04B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 30.3%.

SHW - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 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%.

ACN - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Accenture plc reported an operating income of 2.49B and revenue of 18.04B, resulting in an operating margin of 13.8%.

SHW - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 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%.

ACN - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Accenture plc reported a net income of 1.86B and revenue of 18.04B, resulting in a net margin of 10.3%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both SHW and ACN in my portfolio?

SHW and ACN have a correlation of 0.17, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, SHW or ACN?

ACN has higher volatility (14.96%) compared to SHW (6.99%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SHW dropped -52.02% vs ACN's -59.20%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SHW currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (-0.63 vs -1.22), 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.