IFF vs. SHW: Intl Flavors & Fragrances vs. Sherwin-Williams Stock Comparison
How do Intl Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) 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
Intl Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW) are both classified in the Specialty Chemicals sub-industry within the broader Chemicals industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | IFF | SHW |
|---|---|---|
| Name | International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. | The Sherwin-Williams Company |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry Group | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry | Chemicals | Chemicals |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Specialty Chemicals | Specialty Chemicals |
| Market Capitalization | 20.69 billion USD | 83.13 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | December 17, 1974 | March 17, 1980 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | IFF | SHW |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 40.13% | 5.74% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 8.28% | 13.18% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -8.71% | 2.84% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | IFF | SHW |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 36.26% | 29.59% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.88 | 1.02 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -56.66% | -42.46% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 1.88M | 1.72M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | IFF | SHW |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.99 | 0.05 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.71 | 0.08 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Intl Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) reports a negative ROE of -7.37%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Sherwin-Williams (SHW) reports 63.70%, ranking against industry peers normally.
IFF
Materials industry group
-7.37%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- Median
- 8.76%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- IFF
- -7.37%
- 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%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Intl Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) at 1.68% and Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 10.74% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
IFF
Materials industry group
1.68%
- Max
- 38.66%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- Median
- 5.28%
- IFF
- 1.68%
- 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%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Intl Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) at 9.53% and Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 17.56% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
IFF
Materials industry group
9.53%
- Max
- 66.70%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- Median
- 12.56%
- IFF
- 9.53%
- 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%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | IFF | SHW |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -7.37% | 63.70% |
| ROA (TTM) | 2.18% | 9.48% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 1.68% | 10.74% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 9.53% | 17.56% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 36.27% | 48.60% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 2.06% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Intl Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) at -5.17% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.
EPS Growth
Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at -2.75% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Intl Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) at -248.42% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | IFF | SHW |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -5.17% | 2.06% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -4.34% | 2.10% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -248.42% | -2.75% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 9.95% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Intl Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) at 1.87 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.
IFF
Materials industry group
1.87
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- IFF
- 1.87
- 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
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Intl Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) at 0.51 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.
IFF
Materials industry group
0.51
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- IFF
- 0.51
- Median
- 0.47
- 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
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | IFF | SHW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.87 | 0.71 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.51 | 3.72 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 3.51 | 3.04 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Intl Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) at 1.85% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 0.91% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, IFF the richer one.
IFF
Materials industry group
1.85%
- Max
- 4.52%
- IFF
- 1.85%
- 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%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 29.35% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Intl Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) at 62.26% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.
IFF
Materials industry group
62.26%
- Max
- 83.62%
- IFF
- 62.26%
- 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%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | IFF | SHW |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.85% | 0.91% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 62.26% | 29.35% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 31.66 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Intl Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) at 236.06 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for IFF’s trailing earnings.
IFF
Materials industry group
236.06
- IFF
- 236.06
- Max
- 59.00
- Q3
- 32.93
- Median
- 18.82
- 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
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Intl Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) at 1.91 and Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 3.34 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
IFF
Materials industry group
1.91
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- IFF
- 1.91
- 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
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Intl Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) at 1.56 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Sherwin-Williams (SHW) at 20.78 prices above its benchmark range — SHW looks rich relative to book.
IFF
Materials industry group
1.56
- Max
- 6.59
- Q3
- 3.55
- Median
- 2.08
- IFF
- 1.56
- 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
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | IFF | SHW |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 236.06 | 31.66 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 1.91 | 3.34 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.56 | 20.78 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -10.66% | 2.98% |