The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $392.50.

SHW has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $380.00 price objective (down previously from $423.00) on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Robert W. Baird set a $370.00 price target on Sherwin-Williams in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Zelman & Associates upgraded Sherwin-Williams to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. UBS Group reduced their target price on Sherwin-Williams from $430.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Finally, Berenberg Bank upgraded Sherwin-Williams from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $321.00 to $420.00 in a report on Friday, January 24th.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Performance

NYSE SHW opened at $333.03 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $344.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $358.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The company has a market capitalization of $83.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.57, a PEG ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.26. Sherwin-Williams has a 1-year low of $282.09 and a 1-year high of $400.42.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.02. Sherwin-Williams had a return on equity of 74.50% and a net margin of 11.61%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.81 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Sherwin-Williams will post 12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sherwin-Williams Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.95%. Sherwin-Williams’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.95%.

Insider Transactions at Sherwin-Williams

In other Sherwin-Williams news, insider Colin M. Davie sold 2,799 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $360.30, for a total transaction of $1,008,479.70. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 5,365 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,933,009.50. This trade represents a 34.28 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sherwin-Williams

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Clarius Group LLC boosted its stake in Sherwin-Williams by 20.7% in the 1st quarter. Clarius Group LLC now owns 2,341 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $817,000 after purchasing an additional 402 shares during the period. Lynch & Associates IN boosted its position in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 2.2% during the first quarter. Lynch & Associates IN now owns 5,561 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $1,942,000 after buying an additional 118 shares during the period. Smith Shellnut Wilson LLC ADV grew its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 2.8% during the first quarter. Smith Shellnut Wilson LLC ADV now owns 1,677 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $586,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Inscription Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Sherwin-Williams in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $216,000. Finally, Community Trust & Investment Co. boosted its position in Sherwin-Williams by 297.3% during the 1st quarter. Community Trust & Investment Co. now owns 37,020 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $12,927,000 after acquiring an additional 27,701 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 77.67% of the company’s stock.

Sherwin-Williams Company Profile

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.