In discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation techniques the value of the stock is estimated based upon present value of some measure of cash flow. Free cash flow to the firm (FCFF) is generally described as cash flows after direct costs and before any payments to capital suppliers.

Intrinsic Stock Value (Valuation Summary)
Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC)
FCFF Growth Rate (g)

Sherwin-Williams Co., free cash flow to the firm (FCFF) forecast

US$ in thousands, except per share data

Year	Value	FCFF_t or Terminal value (TV_t)	Calculation	Present value at 18.36%
0¹	FCFF₀	3,037,808
1	FCFF₁	3,395,675	= 3,037,808 × (1 + 11.78%)	2,868,907
2	FCFF₂	3,818,521	= 3,395,675 × (1 + 12.45%)	2,725,686
3	FCFF₃	4,319,682	= 3,818,521 × (1 + 13.12%)	2,605,090
4	FCFF₄	4,915,647	= 4,319,682 × (1 + 13.80%)	2,504,620
5	FCFF₅	5,626,869	= 4,915,647 × (1 + 14.47%)	2,422,246
5	Terminal value (TV₅)	165,460,295	= 5,626,869 × (1 + 14.47%) ÷ (18.36% – 14.47%)	71,227,103
Intrinsic value of Sherwin-Williams Co. capital				84,353,652
Less: Debt and finance lease liabilities (fair value)				10,209,700
Intrinsic value of Sherwin-Williams Co. common stock				74,143,952

Intrinsic value of Sherwin-Williams Co. common stock (per share)				$300.62
Current share price				$320.79

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2025-12-31).

¹ See details »

Disclaimer!
Valuation is based on standard assumptions. There may exist specific factors relevant to stock value and omitted here. In such a case, the real stock value may differ significantly form the estimated. If you want to use the estimated intrinsic stock value in investment decision making process, do so at your own risk.

Sherwin-Williams Co., cost of capital

	Value¹	Weight	Required rate of return²	Calculation
Equity (fair value)	79,118,241	0.89	20.34%
Debt and finance lease liabilities (fair value)	10,209,700	0.11	3.03%	= 3.86% × (1 – 21.44%)

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2025-12-31).

¹ US$ in thousands

Equity (fair value) = No. shares of common stock outstanding × Current share price
= 246,635,621 × $320.79
= $79,118,240,860.59

Debt and finance lease liabilities (fair value). See details »

² Required rate of return on equity is estimated by using CAPM. See details »

Required rate of return on debt. See details »

Required rate of return on debt is after tax.

Estimated (average) effective income tax rate
= (23.10% + 22.30% + 23.20% + 21.50% + 17.10%) ÷ 5
= 21.44%

WACC = 18.36%

FCFF growth rate (g) implied by PRAT model

Sherwin-Williams Co., PRAT model

	Average	Dec 31, 2025	Dec 31, 2024	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2022	Dec 31, 2021
Selected Financial Data (US$ in thousands)
Interest expense		465,000)	415,700)	417,500)	390,800)	334,700)
Net income		2,568,500)	2,681,400)	2,388,800)	2,020,100)	1,864,400)

Effective income tax rate (EITR)¹		23.10%	22.30%	23.20%	21.50%	17.10%

Interest expense, after tax²		357,585)	322,999)	320,640)	306,778)	277,466)
Add: Cash dividends		789,800)	723,400)	623,700)	618,500)	587,100)
Interest expense (after tax) and dividends		1,147,385)	1,046,399)	944,340)	925,278)	864,566)

EBIT(1 – EITR)³		2,926,085)	3,004,399)	2,709,440)	2,326,878)	2,141,866)

Short-term borrowings		1,200,500)	662,400)	374,200)	978,100)	763,500)
Current portion of long-term debt		350,100)	1,049,200)	1,098,800)	600)	260,600)
Current portion of finance lease liabilities		700)	3,700)	—)	—)	—)
Long-term debt, excluding current portion		9,320,700)	8,176,800)	8,377,900)	9,591,000)	8,590,900)
Long-term finance lease liabilities, excluding current portion		194,700)	185,600)	—)	—)	—)
Shareholders’ equity		4,598,300)	4,051,200)	3,715,800)	3,102,100)	2,437,200)
Total capital		15,665,000)	14,128,900)	13,566,700)	13,671,800)	12,052,200)
Financial Ratios
Retention rate (RR)⁴		0.61	0.65	0.65	0.60	0.60
Return on invested capital (ROIC)⁵		18.68%	21.26%	19.97%	17.02%	17.77%
Averages
RR	0.62
ROIC	18.94%

FCFF growth rate (g)⁶	11.78%

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2025-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31).

¹ See details »

2025 Calculations

² Interest expense, after tax = Interest expense × (1 – EITR)
= 465,000 × (1 – 23.10%)
= 357,585

³ EBIT(1 – EITR) = Net income + Interest expense, after tax
= 2,568,500 + 357,585
= 2,926,085

⁴ RR = [EBIT(1 – EITR) – Interest expense (after tax) and dividends] ÷ EBIT(1 – EITR)
= [2,926,085 – 1,147,385] ÷ 2,926,085
= 0.61

⁵ ROIC = 100 × EBIT(1 – EITR) ÷ Total capital
= 100 × 2,926,085 ÷ 15,665,000
= 18.68%

⁶ g = RR × ROIC
= 0.62 × 18.94%
= 11.78%

FCFF growth rate (g) implied by single-stage model

g = 100 × (Total capital, fair value₀ × WACC – FCFF₀) ÷ (Total capital, fair value₀ + FCFF₀)
= 100 × (89,327,941 × 18.36% – 3,037,808) ÷ (89,327,941 + 3,037,808)
= 14.47%

where:

Total capital, fair value₀ = current fair value of Sherwin-Williams Co. debt and equity (US$ in thousands)
FCFF₀ = the last year Sherwin-Williams Co. free cash flow to the firm (US$ in thousands)
WACC = weighted average cost of Sherwin-Williams Co. capital

FCFF growth rate (g) forecast

Sherwin-Williams Co., H-model

Year	Value	g_t
1	g₁	11.78%
2	g₂	12.45%
3	g₃	13.12%
4	g₄	13.80%
5 and thereafter	g₅	14.47%

where:
g₁ is implied by PRAT model
g₅ is implied by single-stage model
g₂, g₃ and g₄ are calculated using linear interpolation between g₁ and g₅

Calculations

g₂ = g₁ + (g₅ – g₁) × (2 – 1) ÷ (5 – 1)
= 11.78% + (14.47% – 11.78%) × (2 – 1) ÷ (5 – 1)
= 12.45%

g₃ = g₁ + (g₅ – g₁) × (3 – 1) ÷ (5 – 1)
= 11.78% + (14.47% – 11.78%) × (3 – 1) ÷ (5 – 1)
= 13.12%

g₄ = g₁ + (g₅ – g₁) × (4 – 1) ÷ (5 – 1)
= 11.78% + (14.47% – 11.78%) × (4 – 1) ÷ (5 – 1)
= 13.80%

Sherwin-Williams Co. (NYSE:SHW)

Present Value of Free Cash Flow to the Firm (FCFF)

Intrinsic Stock Value (Valuation Summary)

Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC)

FCFF Growth Rate (g)

FCFF growth rate (g) implied by PRAT model

FCFF growth rate (g) implied by single-stage model

FCFF growth rate (g) forecast