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SWK vs. VRT: Stanley Black & Decker vs. Vertiv Stock Comparison

How do Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Vertiv (VRT) 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

Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Vertiv (VRT) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but SWK is classified in Machinery while VRT is classified in Electrical Equipment.

Company profile comparison for Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Vertiv (VRT)
Profile ItemSWKVRT
NameStanley Black & Decker Inc.Vertiv Holdings Co Class A Common Stock
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCapital GoodsCapital Goods
GICS IndustryMachineryElectrical Equipment
GICS Sub-IndustryIndustrial Machinery & Supplies & ComponentsElectrical Components & Equipment
Market Capitalization17.08 billion USD70.41 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateMarch 17, 1980August 2, 2018
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

SWK
VRT
GSPC
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Vertiv (VRT), 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 Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Vertiv (VRT). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Vertiv (VRT). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Vertiv (VRT)
MetricSWKVRT
Total Return (1Y)83.07%11.12%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)17.07%71.14%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)-5.19%49.38%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

SWK
VRT
GSPC
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Vertiv (VRT), 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 Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Vertiv (VRT). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Vertiv (VRT) carries a highly aggressive beta of 2.15, indicating much higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, whereas Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) is closer to market-like at 1.10 — a noticeable difference in market-sensitivity profile.

Risk profile metrics for Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Vertiv (VRT)
MetricSWKVRT
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)38.68%71.11%
Beta (5Y)1.102.15
Max Drawdown (5Y)-68.03%-69.52%
Avg. Volume (3M)1.67M5.90M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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SWK and VRT 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 Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Vertiv (VRT)
MetricSWKVRT
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)2.040.10
Sortino Ratio (1Y)3.570.14

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Vertiv (VRT) at 46.57% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 9.44%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

9.44%

Max
40.55%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
SWK
9.44%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

46.57%

VRT
46.57%
Max
40.55%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Vertiv (VRT) at 16.00% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 5.53%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

5.53%

Max
27.47%
Q3
12.10%
Median
6.30%
SWK
5.53%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

16.00%

Max
27.47%
VRT
16.00%
Q3
12.10%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Vertiv (VRT) at 23.77% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 8.71%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

8.71%

Max
36.60%
Q3
18.33%
Median
11.12%
SWK
8.71%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

23.77%

Max
36.60%
VRT
23.77%
Q3
18.33%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Vertiv (VRT)
MetricSWKVRT
ROE (TTM)9.44%46.57%
ROA (TTM)3.48%11.94%
Net Margin (TTM)5.53%16.00%
Operating Margin (TTM)8.71%23.77%
Gross Margin (TTM)32.16%38.12%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Vertiv (VRT) at 27.69% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at -1.53% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in revenue momentum.

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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both companies show strong earnings momentum, but Vertiv (VRT) at 166.41% is the standout with EPS growth above its industry range; Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 35.90% also sits in the top quartile.

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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Vertiv (VRT)
MetricSWKVRT
Revenue Growth (YoY)-1.53%27.69%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)-3.71%21.59%
EPS Growth (YoY)35.90%166.41%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)-26.81%340.11%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 1.42 and Vertiv (VRT) at 1.39 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

1.42

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
SWK
1.42
Min
0.36

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

1.39

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
VRT
1.39
Min
0.36
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 0.58 and Vertiv (VRT) at 0.61 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

0.58

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
Median
0.60
SWK
0.58
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

0.61

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
VRT
0.61
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Vertiv (VRT)
MetricSWKVRT
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.421.39
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.580.61
Net Debt / EBITDA2.69-0.11

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Vertiv (VRT) at 0.11% pays an industry-typical yield; Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 2.89% 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.

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

2.89%

SWK
2.89%
Max
2.66%
Q3
1.14%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

0.11%

Max
2.66%
Q3
1.14%
Median
0.24%
VRT
0.11%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Vertiv (VRT) at 4.67% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 59.68% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

59.68%

Max
67.39%
SWK
59.68%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

4.67%

Max
67.39%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
VRT
4.67%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
Loading chart…
Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Vertiv (VRT)
MetricSWKVRT
Dividend Yield (TTM)2.89%0.11%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)59.68%4.67%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 20.58 and Vertiv (VRT) at 34.18 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

20.58

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
Median
25.41
SWK
20.58
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

34.18

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
VRT
34.18
Median
25.41
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03
Loading chart…
Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 1.12 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Vertiv (VRT) at 5.37 sits in the pricier quartile — VRT costs more per dollar of sales.

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

1.12

Max
7.54
Q3
3.76
Median
2.15
SWK
1.12
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

5.37

Max
7.54
VRT
5.37
Q3
3.76
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03
Loading chart…
Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 1.93 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Vertiv (VRT) at 12.80 prices above its benchmark range — VRT looks rich relative to book.

SWK

Capital Goods industry group

1.93

Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
SWK
1.93
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08

VRT

Capital Goods industry group

12.80

VRT
12.80
Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08
Loading chart…
Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Vertiv (VRT): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Vertiv (VRT)
MetricSWKVRT
P/E Ratio (TTM)20.5834.18
P/S Ratio (TTM)1.125.37
P/B Ratio (MRQ)1.9312.80
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)11.37%4.21%