PPG vs RPM: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: PPG is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. PPG and RPM share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined PPG and RPM exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

PPG Industries is a global leader in coatings and specialty materials, meaning it manufactures paints, coatings, and finishes rather than end products. In 2025 it reported net sales of about $15.9 billion, and effective at the end of 2024 it reorganized into three reportable segments: Global Architectural Coatings (paints for homes and buildings), Performance Coatings (aerospace, protective and marine, automotive refinish, and traffic solutions), and Industrial Coatings (automotive OEM, general industrial, and packaging coatings). Its products protect and finish everything from cars and aircraft to bridges, food and beverage cans, and house walls, giving it exposure to a broad mix of end markets rather than dependence on any single one. Because coatings are sold into manufacturing and construction, PPG's volumes are cyclical, but it competes on formulation, technology, brand, and service, which gives it pricing power to pass through raw-material costs over time.

Full PPG guide

RPM International Inc. is an Ohio-based maker of specialty coatings, sealants, adhesives, and building materials that runs a decentralized house-of-brands model across four segments: Construction Products Group, Performance Coatings Group, Consumer Group, and Specialty Products Group. Its portfolio spans consumer names sold through home-improvement retailers (Rust-Oleum, DAP, Zinsser) and industrial franchises used in commercial construction and maintenance (Tremco, Carboline, Euclid Chemical), giving it exposure to both do-it-yourself demand and large infrastructure and reroofing projects. Fiscal 2025 (year ended May 31, 2025) sales were roughly $7.4 billion.

Full RPM guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• PPG drivers: Diversified coatings end markets; Pricing power and innovation.
• RPM drivers: MAP 2025 margin program; Diversified brand portfolio.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: The main risk is cyclicality: PPG's volumes depend on global manufacturing, construction, and auto production, so an industrial slowdown or weak housing and vehicle demand compresses sales, as the modest flat-to-low-single-digit 2026 organic guidance reflects. For RPM, rPM's end markets are cyclical and sensitive to construction activity, housing turnover, and consumer discretionary spending, so a slowdown can pressure volumes.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick PPG if you believe its drivers more; RPM if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the PPG and RPM guides.

PPG. Figures are approximate and tied to the asOf date; verify live numbers before acting. PPG is a mature, cyclical industrial, so its valuation tends to move with expectations for global manufacturing and construction demand more than with any single quarter. The dividend-aristocrat record and pricing power are genuine quality signals, but with organic growth guided only flat to low-single-digit, the case rests on margin execution, cost discipline, and a cyclical recovery in its end markets rather than fast top-line growth.

RPM. RPM trades at roughly a low-20s trailing earnings multiple, in line with its history as a steady specialty-chemicals compounder rather than a deep-value or high-growth stock. The fiscal 2026 third quarter showed record sales near $1.6 billion and adjusted EPS well ahead of expectations, reflecting MAP-driven margin gains. Revenue growth is generally forecast in the low-to-mid single digits, so the multiple leans on continued margin expansion and dividend growth.

Headline figures (approximate, Jul 2026): PPG shows revenue (ttm) ~$15.9 billion in 2025 net sales, with ~2% organic growth; verify live figures, 2026 outlook Organic sales guided flat to up a low-single-digit percentage; adjusted EPS guided ~$7.70 to $8.10, profitability Solid coatings margins supported by pricing power and cost programs; margins can compress when raw-material costs spike, dividend 54 consecutive years of increases (a dividend aristocrat); quarterly payout raised to $0.71 in 2025; verify current yield; RPM shows revenue (fy2025) ~$7.4B, diluted eps (fy2025) ~$5.35, market cap ~$13-14B, p/e (trailing) ~21x.

PPG and RPM are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined PPG and RPM exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.