The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) Insider Colin M. Davie Sells 2,799 Shares

The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) insider Colin M. Davie sold 2,799 shares of Sherwin-Williams stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $360.30, for a total value of $1,008,479.70. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 5,365 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,933,009.50. This trade represents a 34.28 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Down 1.6 %

SHW stock opened at $356.49 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $351.49 and its 200 day moving average is $365.86. The stock has a market cap of $89.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.02. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a 1-year low of $282.09 and a 1-year high of $400.42.

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

Sherwin-Williams Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.79 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.89%. This is a positive change from Sherwin-Williams’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. Sherwin-Williams’s payout ratio is 29.95%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Zelman & Associates upgraded shares of Sherwin-Williams to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $450.00 to $405.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $370.00 to $390.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com lowered Sherwin-Williams from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, November 28th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $370.00 price objective on Sherwin-Williams in a research note on Friday, January 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Sherwin-Williams presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $403.31.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sherwin-Williams

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SHW. Cim LLC lifted its position in Sherwin-Williams by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Cim LLC now owns 7,328 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $2,491,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Park Square Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Menard Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams in the 4th quarter worth approximately $101,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams in the 4th quarter valued at $103,359,000. Finally, B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 10,258 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $3,487,000 after purchasing an additional 732 shares during the last quarter. 77.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.