Ascent Group LLC Decreases Holdings in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW)

Ascent Group LLC lowered its stake in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) by 2.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,680 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 38 shares during the quarter. Ascent Group LLC’s holdings in Sherwin-Williams were worth $571,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in SHW. Legacy Capital Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Sherwin-Williams by 2.9% in the fourth quarter. Legacy Capital Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,028 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $350,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. 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 purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. IMS Capital Management increased its position in Sherwin-Williams by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. IMS Capital Management now owns 1,287 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $437,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the period. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC lifted its position 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 valued at $388,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC lifted its position in Sherwin-Williams by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 1,874 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $633,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.67% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Colin M. Davie sold 2,799 shares of the company’s 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 transaction, the insider now owns 5,365 shares in the company, valued at $1,933,009.50. This represents a 34.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on SHW. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Sherwin-Williams from $405.00 to $385.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Sherwin-Williams from $370.00 to $390.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $410.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Mizuho set a $395.00 target price on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $370.00 price target on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $397.00.

Sherwin-Williams Price Performance

NYSE SHW opened at $359.29 on Wednesday. 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. The company has a market cap of $90.04 billion, a PE ratio of 34.06, a PEG ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.25. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $343.81 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $354.28.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.25 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.23 by $0.02. Sherwin-Williams had a net margin of 11.61% and a return on equity of 74.50%. The firm had revenue of $5.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.42 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.17 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 12 EPS for the current year.

Sherwin-Williams Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid a $0.79 dividend. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.88%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. Sherwin-Williams’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.87%.

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.