Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC Buys 976 Shares of The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW)

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) by 54.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,773 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after purchasing an additional 976 shares during the quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in Sherwin-Williams were worth $943,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Sherwin-Williams in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. First Personal Financial Services bought a new position in Sherwin-Williams in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Sherwin-Williams in the 3rd quarter worth $32,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in Sherwin-Williams in the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in shares of Sherwin-Williams in the 3rd quarter worth about $38,000. 77.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE SHW opened at $363.99 on Monday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $352.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $365.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.02. The company has a market cap of $91.55 billion, a PE ratio of 34.50, a PEG ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.23. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a 52-week low of $282.09 and a 52-week high of $400.42.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.81 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 12 EPS for the current year.

Sherwin-Williams Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.79 per share. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This is an increase from Sherwin-Williams’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. Sherwin-Williams’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.95%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $438.00 to $415.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Sherwin-Williams from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $321.00 to $420.00 in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $435.00 to $408.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Zelman & Associates upgraded shares of Sherwin-Williams to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $370.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $403.31.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Colin M. Davie sold 2,799 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 5,365 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $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 is available through this link. Insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Sherwin-Williams 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.