AXTA vs ITW vs SHW Stock Comparison

Axalta Coating Systems, Illinois Tool Works and Sherwin Williams Prices as of Oct 29, 2026 Peers: Industry group
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ITW Illinois Tool Works Inc
$281.43 +5.3% 1M +16.3% 1Y
Market cap
$79.39B
P/E
24.6x
Revenue (TTM)
$16.65B
Div. yield
0.02%
Industrial Machinery Industrials
6 wins
SHW Sherwin Williams Co
$330.18 -0.1% 1M -4.5% 1Y
Market cap
$80.02B
P/E
29.9x
Revenue (TTM)
$24.91B
Div. yield
–
Paints and Coatings Basic Materials
2 wins

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Illinois Tool Works leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (Illinois Tool Works 6, Axalta Coating Systems 3, Sherwin Williams 2). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionAXTAITWSHWLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $7.22B $79.39B $80.02B SHW
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 21.6x 24.6x 29.9x AXTA
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 12.4x 26.4x 26.0x AXTA
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +0.1% +4.8% +7.0% SHW
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 6.5% 19.4% 10.7% ITW
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 7.8% 27.1% 19.5% ITW
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 2.4x 1.8x 2.4x ITW
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.02% 0.00% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +13.9% +16.3% -4.5% ITW
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +1.5%/yr +4.3%/yr +0.8%/yr ITW
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 32.3% 21.3% 27.6% ITW
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 56/100 50/100 54/100 AXTA

Percentile Scorecard

AXTAITWSHW

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisAXTAITWSHW
Valuation 67 #32 of 94 28 #147 of 203 28 #68 of 94
Growth 54 #43 of 92 35 #122 of 188 64 #34 of 92
Profitability 75 #22 of 86 100 #2 of 183 97 #4 of 86
Financial Health 33 #63 of 93 26 #161 of 216 24 #71 of 93
Shareholder Returns 51 #35 of 71 62 #58 of 152 60 #29 of 71
Overall 56 50 54
  • AXTA ranked among 99 companies in Chemicals
  • ITW ranked among 222 companies in Machinery
  • SHW ranked among 99 companies in Chemicals

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodAXTAITWSHWSPY
1 month +2.8%+5.3%-0.1% +0.7%
3 months -6.7%-0.8%-4.3% +3.7%
6 months +18.1%+9.1%+2.7% +7.1%
Year to date +4.0%+14.3%+1.9% +12.8%
1 year +13.9%+16.3%-4.5% +11.9%
3 years +30.0%+25.9%+40.3% +85.2%
3 years, per year +9.1%+8.0%+11.9% +22.8%
5 years +7.7%+23.5%+4.3% +67.6%
5 years, per year +1.5%+4.3%+0.8% +10.9%
10 years +34.1%+147.2%+304.7% +262.0%
10 years, per year +3.0%+9.5%+15.0% +13.7%

Risk

MeasureAXTAITWSHWSPY
Volatility, 1Y 32.3%21.3%27.6% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 29.9%20.7%25.4% 12.6%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 1.090.470.82 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.430.77-0.16 0.94
Max drawdown, 5Y -38.4%-28.9%-42.9% -25.4%
From 52-week high -12.0%-6.1%-11.4% -1.2%
52-week high $38.19$299.60$372.60 $779.14
52-week low $25.44$241.07$293.00 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleAXTAITWSHW
P/E now vs peer median 21.5xmedian 21.0x 24.8xmedian 25.8x 29.7xmedian 21.0x
P/S now vs peer median 1.4xmedian 1.4x 4.8xmedian 1.9x 3.2xmedian 1.4x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 10.0xmedian 12.9x 18.3xmedian 14.6x 19.1xmedian 12.9x
P/FCF now vs peer median 14.5xmedian 15.5x 27.9xmedian 22.2x 25.9xmedian 15.5x
P/B now vs peer median 2.7xmedian 1.7x 25.5xmedian 2.2x 20.1xmedian 1.7x
PEG now vs peer median 1.64median 1.68 8.57median 1.45 5.31median 1.68

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsAXTAITWSHW
Revenue $5.17B $16.65B $24.91B
Gross profit $1.74B $7.38B $12.11B
Operating income $640.00M $4.43B $4.03B
Net income $335.00M $3.23B $2.68B
Free cash flow $497.00M $2.87B $3.08B
R&D $70.00M – –
EPS (diluted) $1.55 $11.31 $11.02
Cash & equivalents $650.00M $809.00M $264.20M
Total debt $3.00B $9.37B $11.80B
Shares (diluted) 215.10M 285.30M 242.80M
Enterprise value $4.67B $76.06B $79.04B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricAXTAITWSHW
P/E 21.5x 24.8x 29.7x
P/FCF 14.5x 27.9x 25.9x
P/Operating cash flow 10.3x 24.5x 21.7x
P/S 1.4x 4.8x 3.2x
P/B 2.7x 25.5x 20.1x
P/Tangible book 4.5x 30.8x 343.3x
EV/EBITDA 10.0x 18.3x 19.1x
EV/EBIT 14.9x 20.0x 22.7x
EV/Revenue 1.8x 5.3x 3.7x
EV/FCF 19.2x 30.9x 29.7x
EV/Operating cash flow 13.6x 27.1x 24.8x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 1.64 8.57 5.31

Growth

14 metrics
MetricAXTAITWSHW
Revenue growth (1Y) 0.1% 4.8% 7.0%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 0.3% 1.1% 2.7%
Gross profit growth (1Y) -2.8% 5.7% 6.4%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 3.5% 2.8% 5.1%
Operating income growth (1Y) -15.8% 6.4% 7.9%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 6.1% 3.1% 3.9%
Net income growth (1Y) -26.5% 6.7% 4.1%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 12.0% 0.9% 3.4%
EPS growth (1Y) -26.3% 9.1% 6.7%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 13.1% 2.9% 5.6%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 29.7% -0.5% 11.8%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 9.3% -0.5% 4.3%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 46.6% 0.8% 26.8%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 8.8% 0.4% 8.0%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricAXTAITWSHW
Gross margin 33.6% 44.3% 48.6%
EBITDA margin 18.5% 29.0% 19.2%
Operating margin 12.4% 26.6% 16.2%
Pretax margin 9.4% 25.2% 14.0%
Net margin 6.5% 19.4% 10.7%
FCF margin 9.6% 17.2% 12.4%
Operating cash flow margin 13.5% 19.6% 14.8%
Return on equity 12.8% 106.9% 68.3%
Return on assets 4.3% 19.6% 9.9%
Return on invested capital 7.8% 27.1% 19.5%
Return on capital employed 11.2% 38.9% 23.6%
Asset turnover 0.7x 1.0x 0.9x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.1x 1.0x 1.4x
Stock comp / revenue 0.6% 0.5% 0.5%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricAXTAITWSHW
Debt / assets 38.7% 56.8% 43.7%
Debt / equity 1.1x 3.0x 3.0x
Net debt / EBITDA 2.4x 1.8x 2.4x
Debt / FCF 6.0x 3.3x 3.8x
Liabilities / assets 65.6% 81.0% 85.3%
Equity / assets 34.4% 19.0% 14.7%
Interest coverage 4.2x 14.3x 7.5x
Current ratio 1.5x 1.3x 0.7x
Quick ratio 1.0x 0.8x 0.4x
Cash ratio 0.3x 0.2x 0.0x
Altman Z-score 2.37 8.24 3.51

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricAXTAITWSHW
Dividend yield – 2.3% 1.0%
Net buyback yield 1.3% 2.0% 2.9%
Shareholder yield 1.3% 4.4% 3.9%
Payout ratio (earnings) – 57.4% –
Payout ratio (FCF) – 64.6% –
Dividend growth (1Y) – 5.2% –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – 5.1% –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusAXTAITWSHW
Forward P/E 12.4xFY2026 26.4xFY2026 26.0xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $2.71FY2026 $10.67FY2026 $12.68FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +8.8%FY2026 +1.7%FY2026 +10.9%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +1.1% +19.3% -0.4%
Revenue, next fiscal year $5.37BFY2026 $16.46BFY2026 $23.55BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +4.9%FY2026 +2.6%FY2026 -0.1%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after -2.9% +11.4% +4.0%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersAXTAITWSHW
Held by institutions 100.0% 84.9% 82.7%
Institutions holding 358 1,970 1,741
Change in shares held, QoQ +1.0% +0.8% +3.3%
Institutions buying 162 847 747
Institutions selling 144 750 718
Buyers to sellers 1.13 1.13 1.04

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

AXTAITWSHW
AXTA 1.00 0.46 0.66
ITW 0.46 1.00 0.64
SHW 0.66 0.64 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, AXTA, ITW and SHW?

Sherwin Williams (SHW) is the largest by market capitalisation: Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA) $7.22B, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) $79.39B, Sherwin Williams (SHW) $80.02B.

Which stock is cheaper, AXTA, ITW and SHW?

Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA) 21.6x, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) 24.6x, Sherwin Williams (SHW) 29.9x). On next year's consensus earnings, Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA) is cheapest (Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA) 12.4x, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) 26.4x, Sherwin Williams (SHW) 26.0x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Sherwin Williams (SHW) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA) +0.1%, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) +4.8%, Sherwin Williams (SHW) +7.0%.

Which company is more profitable?

Illinois Tool Works (ITW) has the highest net margin (Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA) 6.5%, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) 19.4%, Sherwin Williams (SHW) 10.7%). On return on invested capital, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) leads (Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA) 7.8%, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) 27.1%, Sherwin Williams (SHW) 19.5%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Illinois Tool Works (ITW) returned the most: Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA) +13.9%, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) +16.3%, Sherwin Williams (SHW) -4.5%. Over five years, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) compounded fastest (Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA) +1.5%/yr, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) +4.3%/yr, Sherwin Williams (SHW) +0.8%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Only one of these companies pays a dividend: Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA) 0.00%, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) 0.02%, Sherwin Williams (SHW) 0.00%. Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA) and Sherwin Williams (SHW) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) has been the steadiest (Axalta Coating Systems (AXTA) 32.3%, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) 21.3%, Sherwin Williams (SHW) 27.6%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, AXTA, ITW and SHW?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) leads on 6. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.