The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW.NYSE) AI OPINIONS & ADVISOR ANALYSIS
Read and compare the 14 individual AI Advisor deep-dive reports, including their forecast paths, ratings, price targets, and reasoning.
Updated on 20 September 2026Deep analysis 20 September 2026
Universal Investor AI
The Polymath FrameworkModel rating
Buy
5-Year Return Est.
+65.9%
Includes 0.68% annual net dividend contribution
1. Investment Thesis — Base Case
The central tension is that Sherwin's two problems share one cause. Brent near $104 inflates resins and simultaneously keeps the 10-year near 5%, which freezes the home transactions that drive repaint volume. Energy normalisation therefore fixes both, but not at the same speed: costs relieve within quarters, housing within years. The base case assumes price discipline holds, gross margingross marginsThe percentage of revenue remaining after deducting the direct costs of producing goods sold.View full glossary entry troughs in 2027 and recovers through 2029, volumes improve only modestly, and roughly 3% of shares retire annually. Investors are paid low-double-digit EPS growtheps growthThe percentage increase in earnings per share over a specified period.View full glossary entry on a multiple that has already de-rated from 33.7x to 29.5x trailing, with little further compression assumed.
- FY2026 adjusted guidance of $11.80-$12.20 compounding near 10% annually implies roughly $18-19 by 2031.
- At a 26-27x exit multiple, that supports a share price near $515, below today's de-rated rating.
- Cross-check: $79.3bn market cap on $3.21bn TTM free cash flowfree cash flowFree cash flow (FCF) is cash generated after operating expenses and capital expenditures that remains available for debt reduction, reinvestment, or shareholder returns.View full glossary entry; fewer shares magnify per-share cash.
Historical prices and published forecast
- Observed price
- Published advisor forecast
View chart values
| Series | Date | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Observed price | 2021-09-17 | 294 |
| Observed price | 2021-09-30 | 280 |
| Observed price | 2021-10-13 | 290 |
| Observed price | 2021-10-26 | 316 |
| Observed price | 2021-11-08 | 321 |
| Observed price | 2021-11-16 | 337 |
| Observed price | 2021-12-12 | 346 |
| Observed price | 2021-12-21 | 336 |
| Observed price | 2021-12-30 | 350 |
| Observed price | 2022-01-20 | 293 |
| Observed price | 2022-01-25 | 293 |
| Observed price | 2022-02-15 | 273 |
| Observed price | 2022-02-24 | 267 |
| Observed price | 2022-03-09 | 238 |
| Observed price | 2022-03-22 | 248 |
| Observed price | 2022-04-08 | 263 |
| Observed price | 2022-04-21 | 245 |
| Observed price | 2022-05-04 | 277 |
| Observed price | 2022-05-13 | 272 |
| Observed price | 2022-05-22 | 259 |
| Observed price | 2022-06-04 | 272 |
| Observed price | 2022-06-17 | 223 |
| Observed price | 2022-06-30 | 233 |
| Observed price | 2022-07-21 | 253 |
| Observed price | 2022-07-26 | 252 |
| Observed price | 2022-08-03 | 239 |
| Observed price | 2022-08-21 | 242 |
| Observed price | 2022-09-03 | 230 |
| Observed price | 2022-09-16 | 225 |
| Observed price | 2022-09-29 | 206 |
| Observed price | 2022-10-12 | 206 |
| Observed price | 2022-10-29 | 224 |
| Observed price | 2022-11-07 | 224 |
| Observed price | 2022-11-29 | 249 |
| Observed price | 2022-12-12 | 258 |
| Observed price | 2022-12-25 | 240 |
| Observed price | 2023-01-07 | 230 |
| Observed price | 2023-01-15 | 241 |
| Observed price | 2023-01-24 | 247 |
| Observed price | 2023-02-15 | 231 |
| Observed price | 2023-03-04 | 226 |
| Observed price | 2023-03-13 | 214 |
| Observed price | 2023-03-26 | 213 |
| Observed price | 2023-04-03 | 226 |
| Observed price | 2023-04-12 | 226 |
| Observed price | 2023-04-29 | 235 |
| Observed price | 2023-05-17 | 226 |
| Observed price | 2023-05-21 | 231 |
| Observed price | 2023-06-03 | 241 |
| Observed price | 2023-06-25 | 251 |
| Observed price | 2023-07-08 | 258 |
| Observed price | 2023-07-21 | 269 |
| Observed price | 2023-07-25 | 279 |
| Observed price | 2023-08-07 | 273 |
| Observed price | 2023-09-02 | 274 |
| Observed price | 2023-09-11 | 269 |
| Observed price | 2023-09-15 | 261 |
| Observed price | 2023-10-02 | 249 |
| Observed price | 2023-10-11 | 255 |
| Observed price | 2023-10-24 | 235 |
| Observed price | 2023-11-06 | 251 |
| Observed price | 2023-11-23 | 274 |
| Observed price | 2023-12-02 | 284 |
| Observed price | 2023-12-24 | 312 |
| Observed price | 2023-12-28 | 312 |
| Observed price | 2024-01-10 | 298 |
| Observed price | 2024-01-23 | 306 |
| Observed price | 2024-02-14 | 312 |
| Observed price | 2024-02-18 | 314 |
| Observed price | 2024-03-11 | 338 |
| Observed price | 2024-03-24 | 344 |
| Observed price | 2024-04-06 | 332 |
| Observed price | 2024-04-10 | 327 |
| Observed price | 2024-04-27 | 302 |
| Observed price | 2024-05-10 | 317 |
| Observed price | 2024-05-28 | 303 |
| Observed price | 2024-06-01 | 304 |
| Observed price | 2024-06-10 | 297 |
| Observed price | 2024-07-01 | 296 |
| Observed price | 2024-07-19 | 330 |
| Observed price | 2024-08-05 | 340 |
| Observed price | 2024-08-14 | 353 |
| Observed price | 2024-08-18 | 356 |
| Observed price | 2024-09-09 | 364 |
| Observed price | 2024-09-26 | 381 |
| Observed price | 2024-10-05 | 373 |
| Observed price | 2024-10-18 | 386 |
| Observed price | 2024-10-31 | 359 |
| Observed price | 2024-11-04 | 374 |
| Observed price | 2024-11-26 | 393 |
| Observed price | 2024-11-30 | 395 |
| Observed price | 2024-12-22 | 345 |
| Observed price | 2025-01-04 | 337 |
| Observed price | 2025-01-17 | 354 |
| Observed price | 2025-01-21 | 359 |
| Observed price | 2025-01-25 | 363 |
| Observed price | 2025-02-25 | 349 |
| Observed price | 2025-03-05 | 361 |
| Observed price | 2025-03-31 | 351 |
| Observed price | 2025-04-05 | 334 |
| Observed price | 2025-04-22 | 329 |
| Observed price | 2025-05-01 | 357 |
| Observed price | 2025-05-18 | 361 |
| Observed price | 2025-05-22 | 353 |
| Observed price | 2025-06-04 | 358 |
| Observed price | 2025-06-17 | 335 |
| Observed price | 2025-07-05 | 353 |
| Observed price | 2025-07-18 | 340 |
| Observed price | 2025-07-31 | 336 |
| Observed price | 2025-08-13 | 363 |
| Observed price | 2025-08-30 | 365 |
| Observed price | 2025-09-08 | 375 |
| Observed price | 2025-09-12 | 364 |
| Observed price | 2025-10-04 | 341 |
| Observed price | 2025-10-21 | 332 |
| Observed price | 2025-10-30 | 347 |
| Observed price | 2025-11-16 | 327 |
| Observed price | 2025-11-25 | 342 |
| Observed price | 2025-11-29 | 340 |
| Observed price | 2025-12-21 | 324 |
| Observed price | 2025-12-25 | 325 |
| Observed price | 2026-01-11 | 357 |
| Observed price | 2026-01-24 | 350 |
| Observed price | 2026-02-11 | 367 |
| Observed price | 2026-02-15 | 368 |
| Observed price | 2026-03-09 | 331 |
| Observed price | 2026-03-17 | 312 |
| Observed price | 2026-03-30 | 321 |
| Observed price | 2026-04-17 | 345 |
| Observed price | 2026-04-30 | 321 |
| Observed price | 2026-05-08 | 315 |
| Observed price | 2026-05-17 | 303 |
| Observed price | 2026-05-30 | 299 |
| Observed price | 2026-06-21 | 320 |
| Observed price | 2026-07-04 | 351 |
| Observed price | 2026-07-13 | 329 |
| Observed price | 2026-07-21 | 319 |
| Observed price | 2026-08-08 | 367 |
| Observed price | 2026-08-16 | 351 |
| Observed price | 2026-09-07 | 327 |
| Observed price | 2026-09-22 | 328 |
| Observed price | 2026-09-24 | 320 |
| Observed price | 2026-09-25 | 329 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2026-09-18 | 321 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2026-12-18 | 327 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2027-03-18 | 317 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2027-06-18 | 327 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2027-09-18 | 340 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2027-12-18 | 354 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2028-03-18 | 364 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2028-06-18 | 375 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2028-09-18 | 383 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2028-12-18 | 398 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2029-03-18 | 406 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2029-06-18 | 414 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2029-09-18 | 426 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2029-12-18 | 435 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2030-03-18 | 448 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2030-06-18 | 457 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2030-09-18 | 471 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2030-12-18 | 480 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2031-03-18 | 490 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2031-06-18 | 504 |
| Published advisor forecast | 2031-09-18 | 514 |
2. Scenarios & Signals
Bull case
The bull case activates when the crude premium collapses while the 8% list price stays in the market. gross marginsThe percentage of revenue remaining after deducting the direct costs of producing goods sold. pushes past 52% exactly as it did after 2022, and the same disinflation drags the 10-year under 4%, cutting mortgages below 6% and releasing the lock-in backlogbacklogThe total value of signed contracts yet to be fulfilled, representing future revenue visibility.View full glossary entry into Paint Stores Group. Volume leverage on a fixed store network then compounds the pricing windfall, EPS approaches $22 by 2031, and the multiple recovers toward 29x. Shares roughly double.
Bear case
The bear case activates if a third year of sub-4m home sales collides with unrecovered input inflationinput inflationAn increase in the cost of raw materials, components, labor, or energy used to produce goods and services.View full glossary entry. Contractors defer projects, the September increase is quietly rebated, and Paint Stores Group same-store sales turn negative during 2027. free cash flowFree cash flow (FCF) is cash generated after operating expenses and capital expenditures that remains available for debt reduction, reinvestment, or shareholder returns. falls below $2.5bn just as leverage sits at 2.4x, forcing the buyback, the main per-share engine, to slow. The market then reprices Sherwin as a cyclical distributor near 20x, and the shares fall toward $250.
Current crowd narrative
The consensus treats Sherwin-Williams as a bond-proxy compoundercompounderA business or asset that can reinvest earnings or cash flows at attractive returns over an extended period.View full glossary entry that always wins: 58% of 38 analysts rate it Buy with an average target near $391.50 against a $321 tape [21]. The anchoring bias is the pre-2024 multiple. Sell-side models still assume a low-30s P/E returns once housing normalises, while the stock has quietly been flat all year against a 10% index gain.
Alpha-gap assessment
The crowd modestly underestimates these shares, implying mild underpricing. The blind spot is asymmetry in coatings pricing: analysts treat the 1 September 8% increase as a cost pass-through that reverses, when the 2021-23 record shows Sherwin retained price after resin deflation, lifting gross marginsThe percentage of revenue remaining after deducting the direct costs of producing goods sold. 680 basis points [7][8]. Meanwhile the housing drag is fully visible and fully priced at a de-rated 25x forward. Investors are paying for stalled volumes while receiving a free option on margin recapture plus a 3.3% buyback yield.
Convergence catalyst
The 27 October 2026 print is the first clean read on whether the September increase sticks. Paint Stores Group same-store sales holding above roughly 3% with stable gross marginsThe percentage of revenue remaining after deducting the direct costs of producing goods sold. would prove price is being taken without volume destruction; the first observable repricing is multiple expansionmultiple expansionAn increase in valuation ratios such as price-to-earnings or enterprise-value-to-sales.View full glossary entry on unchanged guidance.
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