WY vs HD vs MAS vs LOW vs SHW

For growth investors, The Home Depot, Inc.

(HD) is the stronger pick with 3. 2% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -3. 4% for Masco Corporation (MAS). Masco Corporation (MAS) offers the better valuation at 18. 2x trailing P/E (16. 5x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Weyerhaeuser Company (WY) a "Buy" — based on 25 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Masco Corporation (MAS) is the cheapest at 18.

2x versus Weyerhaeuser Company at 52. 7x. On forward P/E, Masco Corporation is actually cheaper at 16. 5x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Lowe's Companies, Inc. wins at 2. 02x versus The Home Depot, Inc. 's 5. 87x.

Over the past 5 years, Lowe's Companies, Inc.

(LOW) delivered a total return of +23. 2%, compared to -20. 8% for Weyerhaeuser Company (WY). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SHW returned +245. 5% versus WY's +14. 4%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Weyerhaeuser Company (WY) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

51β versus Masco Corporation's 1. 28β — meaning MAS is approximately 150% more volatile than WY relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Weyerhaeuser Company (WY) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 59% versus 46% for Masco Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), The Home Depot, Inc.

(HD) is pulling ahead at 3. 2% versus -3. 4% for Masco Corporation (MAS). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Masco Corporation grew EPS 2. 7% year-over-year, compared to -16. 7% for Weyerhaeuser Company. Over a 3-year CAGR, SHW leads at 2. 1% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW) is the more profitable company, earning 10.

9% net margin versus 4. 7% for Weyerhaeuser Company — meaning it keeps 10. 9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MAS leads at 16. 8% versus 6. 7% for WY. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SHW leads at 48. 9%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential.

By this metric, Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 2. 02x versus The Home Depot, Inc. 's 5. 87x. Both stocks trade at elevated growth-adjusted valuations, so expected growth needs to materialise. On forward earnings alone, Masco Corporation (MAS) trades at 16. 5x forward P/E versus 83. 6x for Weyerhaeuser Company — 67. 1x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for HD: 29. 5% to $408. 08.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Weyerhaeuser Company (WY) offers the highest yield at 3. 5%, versus 1. 0% for The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Weyerhaeuser Company (WY) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

51), 3. 5% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (WY: +14. 4%, MAS: +153. 1%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

These companies operate in different sectors (WY (Real Estate) and HD (Consumer Cyclical) and MAS (Industrials) and LOW (Consumer Cyclical) and SHW (Basic Materials)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: WY is a mid-cap income-oriented stock; HD is a large-cap quality compounder stock; MAS is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; LOW is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; SHW is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.