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SWK vs. XYL: Stanley Black & Decker vs. Xylem Stock Comparison

How do Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Xylem (XYL) 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 Xylem (XYL) are both classified in the Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components sub-industry within the broader Machinery industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Company profile comparison for Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Xylem (XYL)
Profile ItemSWKXYL
NameStanley Black & Decker Inc.Xylem Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCapital GoodsCapital Goods
GICS IndustryMachineryMachinery
GICS Sub-IndustryIndustrial Machinery & Supplies & ComponentsIndustrial Machinery & Supplies & Components
Market Capitalization17.08 billion USD22.44 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateMarch 17, 1980October 13, 2011
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

SWK
XYL
GSPC
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Xylem (XYL), 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 Xylem (XYL). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Xylem (XYL). 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 Xylem (XYL)
MetricSWKXYL
Total Return (1Y)83.07%-33.10%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)17.07%2.29%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)-5.19%-4.47%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

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

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Xylem (XYL)
MetricSWKXYL
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)38.68%30.74%
Beta (5Y)1.100.96
Max Drawdown (5Y)-68.03%-44.89%
Avg. Volume (3M)1.67M2.60M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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SWK and XYL 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 Xylem (XYL)
MetricSWKXYL
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)2.04-1.22
Sortino Ratio (1Y)3.57-1.48

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 9.44% and Xylem (XYL) at 9.76% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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%

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

9.76%

Max
40.55%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
XYL
9.76%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 5.53% and Xylem (XYL) at 11.94% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.

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%

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

11.94%

Max
27.47%
Q3
12.10%
XYL
11.94%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 8.71% and Xylem (XYL) at 15.95% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

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%

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

15.95%

Max
36.60%
Q3
18.33%
XYL
15.95%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Xylem (XYL)
MetricSWKXYL
ROE (TTM)9.44%9.76%
ROA (TTM)3.48%5.07%
Net Margin (TTM)5.53%11.94%
Operating Margin (TTM)8.71%15.95%
Gross Margin (TTM)32.16%39.32%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Xylem (XYL) at 5.52% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at -1.53% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

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

EPS Growth

Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 35.90% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Xylem (XYL) at 7.40% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for SWK.

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

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Xylem (XYL)
MetricSWKXYL
Revenue Growth (YoY)-1.53%5.52%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)-3.71%17.84%
EPS Growth (YoY)35.90%7.40%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)-26.81%25.99%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 1.42 and Xylem (XYL) 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

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

1.39

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
Q1
1.43
XYL
1.39
Min
0.36
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Xylem (XYL): 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 Xylem (XYL) at 0.29 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

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

0.29

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
Median
0.60
XYL
0.29
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Xylem (XYL): 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 Xylem (XYL)
MetricSWKXYL
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.421.39
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.580.29
Net Debt / EBITDA2.691.18

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Xylem (XYL) at 1.69% earns its spot in the top quartile of its industry’s yields; Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 2.89% is past the top of its own peer range — territory where a dividend-safety check matters more than the headline number.

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%

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

1.69%

Max
2.66%
XYL
1.69%
Q3
1.14%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 59.68% and Xylem (XYL) at 37.47% pay out an above-typical share of earnings for their industries, leaving thinner cover if profits dip.

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%

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

37.47%

Max
67.39%
XYL
37.47%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Xylem (XYL)
MetricSWKXYL
Dividend Yield (TTM)2.89%1.69%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)59.68%37.47%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 20.58 and Xylem (XYL) at 21.69 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

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

21.69

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
Median
25.41
XYL
21.69
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 1.12 and Xylem (XYL) at 2.48 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

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

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

2.48

Max
7.54
Q3
3.76
XYL
2.48
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

On P/B ratio, both Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) at 1.93 and Xylem (XYL) at 2.19 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.

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

XYL

Capital Goods industry group

2.19

Max
9.66
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
XYL
2.19
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08
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Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) vs. Xylem (XYL): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Xylem (XYL)
MetricSWKXYL
P/E Ratio (TTM)20.5821.69
P/S Ratio (TTM)1.122.48
P/B Ratio (MRQ)1.932.19
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)11.37%5.39%