AU vs. SHW: AngloGold Ashanti vs. Sherwin-Williams Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW) both fall under the Materials industry group, but AU is classified in Metals & Mining while SHW is classified in Chemicals.

Company profile comparison for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW)
Profile Item	AU	SHW
Name	AngloGold Ashanti plc	The Sherwin-Williams Company
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Materials	Materials
GICS Industry Group	Materials	Materials
GICS Industry	Metals & Mining	Chemicals
GICS Sub-Industry	Gold	Specialty Chemicals
Market Capitalization	47.04 billion USD	83.13 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	August 5, 1998	March 17, 1980
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

SHW

GSPC

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Sherwin-Williams (SHW), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW)
Metric	AU	SHW
Total Return (1Y)	47.97%	5.74%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	87.34%	13.18%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	42.76%	2.84%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

SHW

GSPC

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Sherwin-Williams (SHW), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW)
Metric	AU	SHW
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	60.11%	29.59%
Beta (5Y)	0.67	1.02
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-51.75%	-42.46%
Avg. Volume (3M)	2.54M	1.72M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

AU and SHW are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW)
Metric	AU	SHW
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.73	0.05
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	1.07	0.08

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both companies show strong equity returns, but Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 63.70% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 44.33% also sits in the top quartile.

AU

Materials industry group

44.33%

Max: 52.88%
AU: 44.33%
Q3: 19.49%
Median: 8.76%
Q1: -3.41%
Min: -32.81%

SHW

Materials industry group

63.70%

SHW: 63.70%
Max: 52.88%
Q3: 19.49%
Median: 8.76%
Q1: -3.41%
Min: -32.81%

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Sherwin-Williams (SHW): A comparison of their ROE against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 32.64% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 10.74%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

AU

Materials industry group

32.64%

Max: 38.66%
AU: 32.64%
Q3: 15.98%
Median: 5.28%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -20.40%

SHW

Materials industry group

10.74%

Max: 38.66%
Q3: 15.98%
SHW: 10.74%
Median: 5.28%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -20.40%

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Sherwin-Williams (SHW): A comparison of their net margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 45.36% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 17.56%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

AU

Materials industry group

45.36%

Max: 66.70%
AU: 45.36%
Q3: 28.92%
Median: 12.56%
Q1: 3.28%
Min: -14.07%

SHW

Materials industry group

17.56%

Max: 66.70%
Q3: 28.92%
SHW: 17.56%
Median: 12.56%
Q1: 3.28%
Min: -14.07%

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Sherwin-Williams (SHW): A comparison of their operating margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW)
Metric	AU	SHW
ROE (TTM)	44.33%	63.70%
ROA (TTM)	24.39%	9.48%
Net Margin (TTM)	32.64%	10.74%
Operating Margin (TTM)	45.36%	17.56%
Gross Margin (TTM)	54.84%	48.60%

Growth

Revenue Growth

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 70.78% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 2.06% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for AU.

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Sherwin-Williams (SHW): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 122.32% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at -2.75% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for AU.

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Sherwin-Williams (SHW): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW)
Metric	AU	SHW
Revenue Growth (YoY)	70.78%	2.06%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	30.02%	2.10%
EPS Growth (YoY)	122.32%	-2.75%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	93.95%	9.95%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 2.55 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 0.71 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for SHW.

AU

Materials industry group

2.55

Max: 5.96
Q3: 3.30
AU: 2.55
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.45
Min: 0.16

SHW

Materials industry group

0.71

Max: 5.96
Q3: 3.30
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.45
SHW: 0.71
Min: 0.16

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Sherwin-Williams (SHW): A comparison of their current ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 0.16 is near its industry mid-range for debt-to-equity ratio, while Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 3.72 sits above its benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.

AU

Materials industry group

0.16

Max: 1.98
Q3: 0.89
Median: 0.47
AU: 0.16
Q1: 0.13
Min: 0.00

SHW

Materials industry group

3.72

SHW: 3.72
Max: 1.98
Q3: 0.89
Median: 0.47
Q1: 0.13
Min: 0.00

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Sherwin-Williams (SHW): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW)
Metric	AU	SHW
Current Ratio (MRQ)	2.55	0.71
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.16	3.72
Net Debt / EBITDA	-0.17	3.04

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 0.91% pays an industry-typical yield; AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 4.88% is above its entire peer range — the higher number, but one that calls for a look at payout sustainability before treating it as an advantage.

AU

Materials industry group

4.88%

AU: 4.88%
Max: 4.52%
Q3: 1.85%
Median: 0.38%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

SHW

Materials industry group

0.91%

Max: 4.52%
Q3: 1.85%
SHW: 0.91%
Median: 0.38%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Sherwin-Williams (SHW): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 29.35% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 58.78% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

AU

Materials industry group

58.78%

Max: 83.62%
AU: 58.78%
Q3: 41.37%
Median: 9.54%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

SHW

Materials industry group

29.35%

Max: 83.62%
Q3: 41.37%
SHW: 29.35%
Median: 9.54%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Sherwin-Williams (SHW): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW)
Metric	AU	SHW
Dividend Yield (TTM)	4.88%	0.91%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	58.78%	29.35%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 12.09 and Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 31.66 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

AU

Materials industry group

12.09

Max: 59.00
Q3: 32.93
Median: 18.82
AU: 12.09
Q1: 11.96
Min: 3.93

SHW

Materials industry group

31.66

Max: 59.00
Q3: 32.93
SHW: 31.66
Median: 18.82
Q1: 11.96
Min: 3.93

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Sherwin-Williams (SHW): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 3.91 and Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 3.34 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

AU

Materials industry group

3.91

Max: 9.62
Q3: 4.34
AU: 3.91
Median: 1.87
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.00

SHW

Materials industry group

3.34

Max: 9.62
Q3: 4.34
SHW: 3.34
Median: 1.87
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.00

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Sherwin-Williams (SHW): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both look rich against book: AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 5.01 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 20.78 prices even higher, above its industry range.

AU

Materials industry group

5.01

Max: 6.59
AU: 5.01
Q3: 3.55
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.26
Min: -0.17

SHW

Materials industry group

20.78

SHW: 20.78
Max: 6.59
Q3: 3.55
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.26
Min: -0.17

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Sherwin-Williams (SHW): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW)
Metric	AU	SHW
P/E Ratio (TTM)	12.09	31.66
P/S Ratio (TTM)	3.91	3.34
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	5.01	20.78
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	7.61%	2.98%