THE SHERWIN-WILLIAMS COMPANY vs WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC., two Retail stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Sherwin-Williams sells paint, an $85.4B business keeping 10.86% of sales while carrying heavy debt at 2.64 to equity. Williams-Sonoma sells home furnishings, a $28.7B retailer keeping a higher 13.81% with no net debt whatsoever. The contrast in balance sheets is the story: one leans hard on borrowing, the other on none. Sherwin trades pricier at 33.05 times earnings against Williams-Sonoma's 26.82, and pays a smaller dividend, 0.92% versus 1.1%. Williams-Sonoma yields more free cash, 3.81% to 3.4%. Both dress up the home, one with coatings on repeat, the other with furniture at brand prices, and both keep solid margins doing it.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | SHW | WSM |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $334.01 | $221.72 |
| Market cap | $82.9B | $26.6B |
| Sector | Retail | Retail |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +10.9% | +33.2% |
| P/E | 32.1 | 24.9 |
| P/B | 18.70 | 14.22 |
| P/S | 3.46 | 3.37 |
| EV/EBITDA | 263.0 | 17.6 |
| Revenue growth | +4.1% | +1.8% |
| Gross margin | 49.1% | 44.0% |
| Operating margin | — | 16.2% |
| Net margin | 10.9% | 13.8% |
| Return on equity | 58.7% | 58.2% |
| Return on assets | 9.8% | 21.5% |
| Return on invested capital | — | 58.7% |
| FCF yield | 3.5% | 4.1% |
| Dividend yield | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| Debt / equity | 2.64 | 0.00 |
| Current ratio | 0.86 | 1.33 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 6.93 | 7.26 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 5 / 9 | 4 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.