Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado Has $169.59 Million Stake in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW)

Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado lowered its position in shares of The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) by 2.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 498,889 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 12,082 shares during the quarter. Sherwin-Williams comprises 0.7% of Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado owned about 0.20% of Sherwin-Williams worth $169,587,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Sherwin-Williams in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. WR Wealth Planners LLC lifted its position in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 41.7% during the 4th quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 119 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Finally, AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new position in Sherwin-Williams during the fourth quarter worth $41,000. 77.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Performance

Shares of SHW stock opened at $331.26 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $342.14 and a 200-day moving average of $357.28. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a one year low of $282.09 and a one year high of $400.42. The company has a market cap of $83.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.40, a P/E/G ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.26.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) last posted 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 period last year, the business posted $1.81 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sherwin-Williams Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be given a dividend of $0.79 per share. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. Sherwin-Williams’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.95%.

Insider Transactions at Sherwin-Williams

In related 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 completion of the sale, the insider now owns 5,365 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,933,009.50. This trade represents a 34.28 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Mizuho set a $395.00 price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. UBS Group cut their price target on Sherwin-Williams from $430.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 7th. Zelman & Associates upgraded Sherwin-Williams to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Sherwin-Williams from $370.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and set a $380.00 price target (down previously from $423.00) on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $392.00.

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.