Sherwin-Williams stock drops on earnings miss; costs pressure margins

Shares of Sherwin-Williams (SHW) fell 5% in premarket trading Tuesday after the paint and coatings manufacturer reported third-quarter earnings that missed Wall Street expectations, despite stronger-than-expected revenue growth.

The Cleveland-based company reported adjusted earnings of $3.63 a share, up from $3.59 a year earlier but below analysts' consensus estimate of $3.69 a share. Revenue rose 7.9% to $6.86 billion, beating expectations by $80 million.

Net income fell 1.5% to $821 million, or $3.38 a share, from $833.1 million, or $3.35 a share, a year earlier.

The results highlighted the challenges facing Sherwin-Williams (SHW) as higher raw material costs, inflation and sluggish demand weigh on profitability. Although price increases and acquisitions helped lift revenue, the company's gross profit margin narrowed to 47.8% from 49.2% a year earlier.

For investors, the earnings miss raises questions about how much longer pricing power and market-share gains can offset weak underlying demand. The company's outlook suggests that a meaningful recovery in construction, home improvement and industrial coatings markets may remain elusive into 2027.

Shares of Sherwin-Williams (SHW) had risen 3.4% this year through Monday's close, trailing the 12% gain in the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index.

Higher costs squeeze profitability

Chair and Chief Executive Heidi Petz attributed the company's performance to continued customer gains and disciplined pricing, despite muted market volumes.

"Gross margin was primarily impacted in the quarter by higher raw material and supply chain related costs and by mix, including dilution from Suvinil and higher growth in lower margin reportable segments," Petz said in the earnings announcement.

Sales increased across all three business segments, supported by price increases that contributed a mid-single-digit percentage to consolidated revenue growth. The October 2025 acquisition of Brazilian paint brand Suvinil also boosted results.

The Paint Stores Group, which serves professional painting contractors and other customers, reported a 4.7% increase in sales to $4.02 billion. Sales at stores open more than 12 months rose 3.9%, compared with 3.6% growth a year earlier.

The segment benefited from stronger demand in protective and marine coatings, commercial construction and residential repainting. However, its profit margin narrowed to 24.3% from 24.9% as higher costs offset some of the revenue gains.

Consumer Brands Group revenue surged 21.7% to $937.4 million, largely reflecting the Suvinil acquisition and favorable foreign currency movements. Segment profit nevertheless declined 7.1% to $146.2 million, reflecting higher costs and continued softness in North American demand.

The division includes familiar paint and home improvement brands such as Valspar, Dutch Boy, Krylon, Minwax and Thompson's WaterSeal.

Performance Coatings Group sales climbed 8.8% to $1.90 billion, driven by price increases and modest volume growth. Segment profit rose 6.2% to $255.2 million, although its margin slipped to 13.4% from 13.7%.

Earnings outlook signals continued caution

Sherwin-Williams (SHW) narrowed its full-year 2026 adjusted earnings guidance to $11.85 to $12.15 a share. The midpoint of $12 is below Wall Street's consensus estimate of $12.09.

The company also revised its forecast for reported earnings to $10.92 to $11.22 a share, including $0.82 a share in Valspar acquisition-related amortization expenses and $0.11 a share in severance and restructuring costs.

Management maintained its full-year revenue growth outlook of a mid-to-high-single-digit percentage increase. Fourth-quarter sales are expected to rise by a mid-single-digit percentage from a year earlier.

"Customer sentiment and the leading indicators we track point to muted demand over the remainder of the year and into 2027," Petz said.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization increased 3.4% to $1.39 billion, representing 20.3% of revenue. Adjusted ebitda rose 3.3% to $1.40 billion, or 20.5% of revenue.

The company generated $2.59 billion in operating cash flow during the first nine months of 2026 and returned $2.98 billion to shareholders through dividends and stock repurchases. It had authorization remaining to repurchase 22.5 million shares as of Sept. 30.

The outlook puts additional emphasis on Sherwin-Williams' (SHW) ability to protect margins through pricing and cost reductions while waiting for a recovery in demand. Investors will also be watching whether acquisition-related growth can translate into stronger profitability as inflationary pressures persist.