SHW vs. MMM

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

SHW (The Sherwin-Williams Company) and MMM (3M Company) are both stocks. SHW operates in Specialty Chemicals (Basic Materials), while MMM operates in Conglomerates (Industrials). Over the past 10 years, SHW returned 12.93%/yr vs 4.22%/yr for MMM. At a 0.39 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

SHW vs. MMM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW) and 3M Company (MMM). 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 lower than MMM's -2.97% return. Over the past 10 years, SHW has outperformed MMM with an annualized return of 12.93%, while MMM has yielded a comparatively lower 4.22% 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%

MMM

• 1D: 0.06%
• 1M: 7.92%
• YTD: -2.97%
• 6M: -5.26%
• 1Y: 7.72%
• 3Y*: 26.44%
• 5Y*: 1.64%
• 10Y*: 4.22%

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

SHW vs. MMM - 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%
MMM 3M Company	-2.97%	26.36%	46.13%	-3.33%	-29.63%	4.85%	2.77%	-4.29%	-16.90%	34.90%

Correlation

The correlation between SHW and MMM is 0.45, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.45
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.43
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.47
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.46
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 2, 1985	0.39

Fundamentals

Market Cap SHW : $74.32B MMM : $81.97B
EPS SHW : $10.42 MMM : $5.17
PE Ratio SHW : 28.75 MMM : 29.78
PS Ratio SHW : 3.12 MMM : 3.32
PB Ratio SHW : 16.77 MMM : 25.12
Total Revenue (TTM) SHW : $23.94B MMM : $25.02B
Gross Profit (TTM) SHW : $11.76B MMM : $9.89B
EBITDA (TTM) SHW : $4.29B MMM : $5.28B

Return for Risk

SHW vs. MMM — 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

MMM

MMM Risk / Return Rank: 50
MMM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 53
MMM Sortino Ratio Rank: 47
MMM Omega Ratio Rank: 45
MMM Calmar Ratio Rank: 52
MMM Martin Ratio Rank: 53

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. MMM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW) and 3M Company (MMM). 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	MMM	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-0.63	0.30	-0.92
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	-0.81	0.61	-1.42
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.91	1.07	-0.16
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.72	0.41	-1.14
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-1.52	0.92	-2.44
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. MMM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SHW Sharpe Ratio is -0.63, which is lower than the MMM Sharpe Ratio of 0.30. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SHW and MMM, 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	MMM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.63	0.30	-0.92
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.10	0.06	+0.04
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.49	0.16	+0.33
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.54	0.34	+0.20

Drawdowns

SHW vs. MMM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SHW drawdown since its inception was -52.02%, smaller than the maximum MMM drawdown of -59.10%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SHW and MMM.

Drawdown Indicators

	SHW	MMM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-52.02%	-59.10%	+7.08%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-21.36%	-18.77%	-2.59%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-25.69%	-22.87%	-2.82%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-42.46%	-53.41%	+10.95%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-42.46%	-59.10%	+16.64%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-24.03%	-11.04%	-12.99%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.63%	-16.11%	+4.48%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	10.16%	8.41%	+1.75%

Volatility

SHW vs. MMM - Volatility Comparison

The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW) has a higher volatility of 6.99% compared to 3M Company (MMM) at 6.60%. This indicates that SHW's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than MMM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SHW	MMM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.99%	6.60%	+0.39%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	18.56%	19.32%	-0.76%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	24.80%	26.01%	-1.21%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	26.15%	28.30%	-2.15%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	26.53%	26.54%	-0.01%

Dividends

SHW vs. MMM - Dividend Comparison

SHW's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.06%, less than MMM's 1.96% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
MMM 3M Company	1.96%	1.82%	16.27%	5.49%	4.97%	3.33%	3.36%	3.26%	2.86%	2.00%	2.49%	2.72%
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. MMM - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between The Sherwin-Williams Company and 3M Company 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%.

MMM - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, 3M Company reported a gross profit of 2.46B and revenue of 6.03B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 40.7%.

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%.

MMM - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, 3M Company reported an operating income of 1.40B and revenue of 6.03B, resulting in an operating margin of 23.2%.

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%.

MMM - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, 3M Company reported a net income of 653.00M and revenue of 6.03B, resulting in a net margin of 10.8%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both SHW and MMM in my portfolio?

SHW and MMM have a correlation of 0.45, 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 MMM?

SHW has higher volatility (6.99%) compared to MMM (6.60%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SHW dropped -52.02% vs MMM's -59.10%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

MMM currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.30 vs -0.63), 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.