The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $400.00.

Several research firms have commented on SHW. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Sherwin-Williams from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, November 28th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Sherwin-Williams from $450.00 to $405.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Berenberg Bank raised Sherwin-Williams from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $321.00 to $420.00 in a report on Friday, January 24th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $355.00 to $370.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $350.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Performance

NYSE SHW opened at $360.74 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.02. Sherwin-Williams has a twelve month low of $282.09 and a twelve month high of $400.42. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $356.13 and a 200-day moving average price of $364.75. The firm has a market cap of $90.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 1.22.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.81 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Sherwin-Williams will post 12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Sherwin-Williams

In related news, SVP Mary L. Garceau sold 15,770 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $397.92, for a total value of $6,275,198.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 29,205 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,621,253.60. This represents a 35.06 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Gregory P. Sofish sold 2,565 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $378.63, for a total value of $971,185.95. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 6,329 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,396,349.27. This trade represents a 28.84 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sherwin-Williams

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SHW. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 88.9% in the 3rd quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 68 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. First Personal Financial Services purchased a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Sherwin-Williams in the third quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 47.5% in the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 87 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the period. 77.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.