The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) Shares Sold by Commonwealth Equity Services LLC

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lessened its stake in shares of The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) by 1.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 177,436 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 2,348 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC owned 0.07% of Sherwin-Williams worth $52,952,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. First United Bank & Trust acquired a new position in Sherwin-Williams during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 158.5% during the fourth quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 106 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sherwin-Williams in the first quarter valued at $47,000. Rise Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Sherwin-Williams by 1,154.5% during the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 138 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rational Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Sherwin-Williams during the 1st quarter worth $57,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.67% of the company’s stock.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Performance

SHW traded up $8.76 during trading on Friday, reaching $369.37. 1,882,204 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,613,608. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.17. The stock has a market cap of $93.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.38, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.16. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a 52 week low of $232.06 and a 52 week high of $370.27. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $332.64 and a 200 day moving average of $323.02.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The specialty chemicals company reported $3.70 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.51 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $6.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.33 billion. Sherwin-Williams had a net margin of 10.92% and a return on equity of 75.58%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.29 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 11.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sherwin-Williams Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 16th will be given a dividend of $0.715 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 16th. This represents a $2.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.77%. Sherwin-Williams’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.49%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SHW has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $315.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Sherwin-Williams from $320.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Sherwin-Williams from $392.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 26th. Evercore ISI increased their target price on Sherwin-Williams from $365.00 to $380.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $400.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $361.95.

About Sherwin-Williams

The Sherwin-Williams Company engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of paints, coating, and related products to professional, industrial, commercial, and retail customers. It operates through three segments: Paint Stores Group, Consumer Brands Group, and Performance Coatings Group.