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Sherwin Williams Co.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 October 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net sales rose 3.2 percent: Net sales rose to $6.36 billion, with Paint Stores and Performance Coatings higher and Consumer Brands lower. Source
  • Adjusted EPS rose 6.5 percent: Adjusted diluted EPS was $3.59 against $3.37; reported diluted EPS was $3.35 against $3.18, up 5.3%. Source
  • Paint Stores sales grew 5.1 percent: PSG sales rose to $3.84 billion; same-store sales rose 3.6%, and segment margin reached 24.9% from 24.5%. Price and volume both contributed. Source
  • Consumer Brands sales fell 2.6 percent: CBG sales fell to $770.1 million on soft DIY demand in North America and Latin America, partly offset by Europe; adjusted segment margin rose to 23.3%. Source
  • Gross margin expanded; SG&A growth slowed: Gross profit was 49.2% of net sales against 49.1%; management said SG&A growth moderated to low single digits, as it expected. Source
  • Demand stayed softer for longer: Management said demand remains softer for longer, as it previously described, while the company kept serving customers. Source

“Sherwin-Williams delivered solid third quarter results, as we continued to execute our strategy in a demand environment that remains softer for longer as we have previously described,”

Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer, Heidi G. Petz

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Adjusted diluted net income per share SourceFull year 2025$11.25 - $11.45
Non-GAAP items in EPS guidance SourceFull year 2025$0.77 acquisition-related amortization; $0.32 severance and restructuring, per shareKept

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Fourth-quarter 2025 net sales guidance appears for the first time; the prior release gave only third-quarter guidance. Source
  • New: Suvinil acquisition closed on October 1 and is included in full-year guidance. Source

Results and earnings per share

  • Net sales rose 3.2 percent: Net sales rose to $6.36 billion, with Paint Stores and Performance Coatings higher and Consumer Brands lower. Source
  • Adjusted EPS rose 6.5 percent: Adjusted diluted EPS was $3.59 against $3.37; reported diluted EPS was $3.35 against $3.18, up 5.3%. Source
  • Net income rose 3.3 percent: Net income rose 3.3% to $833.1 million, or 13.1% of net sales; adjusted EBITDA rose 6.0% to $1.36 billion, or 21.4% of net sales. Source
  • Pre-tax income rose 3.7 percent: Income before income taxes was $1,060.5 million, or 16.7% of net sales against 16.6% a year earlier. Source

Segment results

  • Paint Stores sales grew 5.1 percent: PSG sales rose to $3.84 billion; same-store sales rose 3.6%, and segment margin reached 24.9% from 24.5%. Price and volume both contributed. Source
  • Protective and marine grew double digits: PSG sales rose in all professional end markets; protective and marine grew by a double-digit percentage, residential repaint and commercial by a mid-single digit percentage. Source
  • Consumer Brands sales fell 2.6 percent: CBG sales fell to $770.1 million on soft DIY demand in North America and Latin America, partly offset by Europe; adjusted segment margin rose to 23.3%. Source
  • Performance Coatings sales rose 1.7 percent: PCG sales rose to $1.75 billion; segment profit fell 7.5%, and adjusted segment margin was 16.9% against 18.0%. Source

“Our strategy continues to resonate with professional painting contractors and manufacturers who are increasingly looking for partners that can provide them with predictability and reliability”

Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer, Heidi G. Petz

Costs, margins and restructuring

  • Gross margin expanded; SG&A growth slowed: Gross profit was 49.2% of net sales against 49.1%; management said SG&A growth moderated to low single digits, as it expected. Source
  • Restructuring charge of $0.04 per share: Severance and restructuring expenses were $14.4 million pre-tax in the quarter, against $59.0 million in the second quarter. Source
  • New building costs sit in admin: Costs for the new global headquarters and R&D buildings are recorded in the Administrative function, which posted a $291.4 million segment loss. Source
  • Valspar amortization weighed on segments: Valspar acquisition-related amortization reduced segment profit as a percent of net sales by 290 basis points in PCG and 200 basis points in CBG. Source

Demand and customers

  • Demand stayed softer for longer: Management said demand remains softer for longer, as it previously described, while the company kept serving customers. Source
  • Consumer Brands ahead of expectations: Management said CBG sales remained challenging but were better than management had expected, and adjusted segment margin expanded. Source
  • Management positioned for demand turn: Management said the company is well positioned for when the demand cycle turns, while it keeps winning near term. Source

“We remain confident our approach is the right one to continue winning near-term, and it leaves us well positioned for when the demand cycle eventually turns”

Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer, Heidi G. Petz

Cash, debt and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash of $2.36 billion: Net operating cash was $2.36 billion for the first nine months; the company returned $2.13 billion through dividends and repurchases. Source
  • $864 million returned in quarter: Management said the company returned $864 million to shareholders through repurchases and dividends in the quarter. Source
  • Buyback authorization down to 30.0 million: Remaining repurchase authorization was 30.0 million shares at September 30, 2025, down from 32.0 million at June 30, 2025. Source
  • Capital expenditures lower year to date: Capital expenditures were $196.4 million in the quarter against $235.3 million, and $567.2 million year to date against $770.0 million. Source
  • Short-term borrowings rose to $1.85 billion: Short-term borrowings were $1,846.9 million at September 30, against $915.5 million a year earlier; long-term debt was $9,318.1 million. Source

Strategy and management commentary

  • Strategy resonates with professional contractors: Management said the strategy resonates with professional painting contractors and manufacturers seeking predictability and reliability. Source
  • Management cites competitive environment: Management said the company served customers, invested, controlled costs and used a unique competitive environment during the quarter. Source
  • Paint Stores profit rose on leverage: PSG segment profit rose on sales growth and SG&A leverage, partly offset by increased investment in long-term growth. Source

Coming up, as management said on 28 October 2025

  • Suvinil fourth-quarter EPS effect: Management expects the Suvinil acquisition to have an immaterial effect on fourth-quarter diluted EPS, due to one-time closing costs and purchase accounting items. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Same-store sales change (Paint Stores Group) Source3.6% (2.2% a year earlier)
Inventories Source$2,276.3 million at September 30, 2025 ($2,267.4 million a year earlier)
Paint Stores Group store openings Source23 net new stores in the quarter (19 a year earlier); 4,834 total
Consumer Brands Group store closings Source(8) net new stores in the quarter (3 a year earlier); 304 total
Gross margin Source49.2% of net sales (49.1% a year earlier)

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management cited a softer demand environment that it expects to persist, with soft DIY demand in North America and Latin America. Source
  • Operational: CBG segment margin was reduced by supply chain inefficiencies from lower production volumes, alongside restructuring expenses. Source
  • Operational: PCG segment profit was reduced by unfavorable region and business sales mix, plus higher expenses to support sales. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Management said third-quarter consolidated sales were at the high end of the range given in the prior release. Source
  • Met: Management said SG&A growth moderated to the low single-digit percentage level, as it expected. Source
  • Ahead: Management said Consumer Brands sales were better than management had expected. Source
  • Not stated: Management said demand remained softer for longer, as it had previously described. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.