Is The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW) the Best Dow Stock?

We recently published a list of The Best and Worst Dow Stocks. In this article, we are going to take a look at where The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) stands against other Dow stocks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a benchmark index of the top 30 companies in the US. It represents the strength of the US economy and carries great historical significance as well.

It also acts as a reference point for analysts and investors. However, not all stocks within this elite group of companies perform equally. While some thrive on innovation and economic boom, others struggle due to various setbacks and economic trends.

We decided to break down the index and find out the best and worst stocks, looking at what was making them perform unexpectedly this year.

Methodology

In order to come up with our ranking of the best and worst Dow stocks, we first assigned a rank to each stock based on the number of hedge funds holding the stock. We then looked at the short interest in each stock and assigned the top rank to the company with the least short interest.

We then combined the two ranks to see which stock was the best on average. The list is in ascending order, with the best stock taking the number one spot.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

Is Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW) the Best Dow Stock?

A close-up of a vibrant paint color being sprayed onto a wooden surface.

The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 74

Short Interest as of Apr 30, 2025: 2.04%

The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) is the manufacturer, developer, distributor, and seller of coatings, paint, and related products. Citing potential weakness in the housing market, analysts at financial services firm Jefferies downgraded the company from Buy to Hold last month, lowering the price target from $423 to $380.

SHW is expected to face headwinds in the first half of 2025. However, KeyBanc Securities’ analyst Aleksey Yefremov anticipates SHW to gain in the latter half of 2025 on the back of the declining raw material costs.

The stock surged 3% right after reporting better-than-expected Q1 earnings. Despite a total sales decline, the company managed to improve its earnings, driven by disciplined cost management and enhanced margins.

The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) also reiterated its full-year 2025 guidance regardless of economic and global supply chain uncertainties. It expects consolidated sales to grow by a low single-digit percentage. Adjusted full-year EPS is anticipated to be in the range of $11.65 to $12.05.

CEO Heidi Petz minimized the potential tariff impact by highlighting:

“The largest portion of our revenue is in the United States, and the majority of our raw materials are sourced in the regions where we manufacture. This regional supply strategy helps shield the company from global trade disruptions and inflationary pressure stemming from tariffs.”

Overall, SHW ranks 24th on our list of best and worst Dow stocks. While we acknowledge the potential of SHW as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than SHW but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.