MLM vs. SHW: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at MLM and SHW, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | MLM | SHW |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. | The Sherwin-Williams Company |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry | Construction Materials | Chemicals |
| Market Capitalization | 37.17 billion USD | 91.21 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 17, 1994 | March 17, 1980 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of MLM and SHW by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | MLM | SHW |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 1.97% | -0.32% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 12.38% | 2.83% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 25.72% | 3.63% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 19.87% | 1.14% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 7.22% | 10.56% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 19.34% | 7.62% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 0.39M | 1.63M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 0.41M | 1.68M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 20.37% | 22.86% |
| Beta | 1.03 | 1.24 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
MLM
11.88%
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 24.78%
- Q3
- 14.96%
- Median
- 10.37%
- Q1
- 4.14%
- Min
- -2.94%
MLM’s Return on Equity of 11.88% is on par with the norm for the Construction Materials industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
SHW
60.82%
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 26.17%
- Q3
- 13.48%
- Median
- 8.13%
- Q1
- 2.52%
- Min
- -11.86%
SHW’s Return on Equity of 60.82% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Chemicals industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
MLM
16.47%
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 28.01%
- Q3
- 15.18%
- Median
- 9.09%
- Q1
- 3.32%
- Min
- -4.30%
A Net Profit Margin of 16.47% places MLM in the upper quartile for the Construction Materials industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
SHW
11.03%
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 21.80%
- Q3
- 9.57%
- Median
- 4.44%
- Q1
- 1.14%
- Min
- -11.30%
A Net Profit Margin of 11.03% places SHW in the upper quartile for the Chemicals industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
MLM
23.04%
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 31.67%
- Q3
- 18.49%
- Median
- 11.57%
- Q1
- 7.82%
- Min
- -1.44%
An Operating Profit Margin of 23.04% places MLM in the upper quartile for the Construction Materials industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
SHW
14.21%
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 27.33%
- Q3
- 13.97%
- Median
- 8.08%
- Q1
- 4.46%
- Min
- -8.10%
An Operating Profit Margin of 14.21% places SHW in the upper quartile for the Chemicals industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | MLM | SHW |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 11.88% | 60.82% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 6.25% | 10.43% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 16.47% | 11.03% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 23.04% | 14.21% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 29.44% | 48.87% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
MLM
2.35
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 5.14
- Q3
- 2.89
- Median
- 1.92
- Q1
- 1.25
- Min
- 0.79
MLM’s Current Ratio of 2.35 aligns with the median group of the Construction Materials industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
SHW
0.78
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 3.38
- Q3
- 2.23
- Median
- 1.73
- Q1
- 1.39
- Min
- 0.55
SHW’s Current Ratio of 0.78 falls into the lower quartile for the Chemicals industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
MLM
0.58
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 0.99
- Q3
- 0.72
- Median
- 0.55
- Q1
- 0.30
- Min
- 0.00
MLM’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.58 is typical for the Construction Materials industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
SHW
2.43
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 1.65
- Q3
- 0.94
- Median
- 0.65
- Q1
- 0.41
- Min
- 0.00
With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 2.43, SHW operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Chemicals industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
MLM
16.36
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 54.89
- Q3
- 34.04
- Median
- 7.92
- Q1
- 4.28
- Min
- -6.24
MLM’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 16.36 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Construction Materials industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
SHW
9.47
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 56.43
- Q3
- 26.33
- Median
- 9.38
- Q1
- 3.10
- Min
- -9.39
SHW’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 9.47 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Chemicals industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | MLM | SHW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.35 | 0.78 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 1.21 | 0.48 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.58 | 2.43 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 16.36 | 9.47 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
MLM
0.53%
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 5.91%
- Q3
- 4.64%
- Median
- 2.57%
- Q1
- 1.11%
- Min
- 0.00%
MLM’s Dividend Yield of 0.53% is in the lower quartile for the Construction Materials industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
SHW
0.83%
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 6.56%
- Q3
- 4.04%
- Median
- 2.47%
- Q1
- 1.45%
- Min
- 0.00%
SHW’s Dividend Yield of 0.83% is in the lower quartile for the Chemicals industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
MLM
17.62%
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 174.17%
- Q3
- 91.80%
- Median
- 44.42%
- Q1
- 23.07%
- Min
- 0.00%
MLM’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 17.62% is in the lower quartile for the Construction Materials industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.
SHW
29.89%
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 181.25%
- Q3
- 95.01%
- Median
- 53.52%
- Q1
- 26.59%
- Min
- 0.00%
SHW’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 29.89% is within the typical range for the Chemicals industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | MLM | SHW |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.53% | 0.83% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 17.62% | 29.89% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
MLM
33.15
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 49.05
- Q3
- 24.51
- Median
- 12.09
- Q1
- 7.70
- Min
- 4.06
A P/E Ratio of 33.15 places MLM in the upper quartile for the Construction Materials industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
SHW
35.82
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 42.94
- Q3
- 29.77
- Median
- 20.37
- Q1
- 14.27
- Min
- 6.19
A P/E Ratio of 35.82 places SHW in the upper quartile for the Chemicals industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
MLM
5.46
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 4.03
- Q3
- 2.26
- Median
- 1.31
- Q1
- 0.66
- Min
- 0.19
With a P/S Ratio of 5.46, MLM trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Construction Materials industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
SHW
3.95
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 4.36
- Q3
- 2.23
- Median
- 1.01
- Q1
- 0.55
- Min
- 0.16
SHW’s P/S Ratio of 3.95 is in the upper echelon for the Chemicals industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
MLM
3.53
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 3.19
- Q3
- 1.80
- Median
- 1.08
- Q1
- 0.72
- Min
- 0.11
At 3.53, MLM’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Construction Materials industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
SHW
19.55
Chemicals Industry
- Max
- 4.92
- Q3
- 2.56
- Median
- 1.54
- Q1
- 0.97
- Min
- 0.30
At 19.55, SHW’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Chemicals industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | MLM | SHW |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 33.15 | 35.82 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 5.46 | 3.95 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 3.53 | 19.55 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 37.32 | 37.91 |