Forget Sherwin-Williams, Home Depot Is a Better Dividend Stock

With so many in the U.S. forced to stay at home because of the coronavirus crisis, more people have been sizing up their surroundings and noticing improvements are needed. The beneficiaries of that trend have been home improvement companies, like Home Depot (NYSE: HD) and Sherwin-Williams (NYSE: SHW), which are considered essential businesses and thus are still operating.

Home Depot is a big-box home improvement store, and Sherwin-Williams is one of the largest paint and coatings companies in the world. Both are big suppliers in the do-it-yourself market. They are solid companies and have continued to do business during the health crisis. Their investors have benefitted because their stocks haven't been hit as hard as the broader market and their dividends appear to be safe.

Overall, they're both good investment choices, but one is much better from a dividend point of view. For investors who plan to own stock in a company over the long term, that's a big consideration.