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

Shares of The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have given a hold recommendation, ten have given a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $401.13.

SHW has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and set a $380.00 price objective (down 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 shares of Sherwin-Williams in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and issued a $423.00 price objective (up from $418.00) on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on Sherwin-Williams from $438.00 to $415.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price target on Sherwin-Williams from $435.00 to $408.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th.

Sherwin-Williams Price Performance

Shares of Sherwin-Williams stock opened at $342.90 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.46. Sherwin-Williams has a one year low of $282.09 and a one year high of $400.42. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $354.10 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $364.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $86.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.23.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.09 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 prior year, the business earned $1.81 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Sherwin-Williams will post 12 EPS for the current year.

Sherwin-Williams Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $0.79 per share. This is a boost from Sherwin-Williams’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.92%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. Sherwin-Williams’s payout ratio is presently 29.95%.

Insider Activity at Sherwin-Williams

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sherwin-Williams

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SHW. Legacy Capital Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Legacy Capital Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,028 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $350,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Apella Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $498,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the period. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,742 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,272,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. IMS Capital Management grew its stake in Sherwin-Williams by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. IMS Capital Management now owns 1,287 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $437,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC increased its holdings in Sherwin-Williams by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC now owns 1,146 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $388,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the period. 77.67% of the stock is 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.