Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also commented on SHW. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Sherwin-Williams from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $380.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. UBS Group set a $420.00 price target on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a report on Friday, January 30th. Mizuho dropped their price target on Sherwin-Williams from $410.00 to $371.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on Sherwin-Williams from $390.00 to $376.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $386.31.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Performance

NYSE SHW opened at $326.03 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.53. Sherwin-Williams has a 1-year low of $301.58 and a 1-year high of $379.65. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $343.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $339.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $80.65 billion, a PE ratio of 31.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.27.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.16 by $0.07. Sherwin-Williams had a return on equity of 65.26% and a net margin of 10.90%.The business had revenue of $5.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.57 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.09 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Sherwin-Williams will post 12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Sherwin-Williams

In related news, SVP Bryan J. Young sold 2,513 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $364.47, for a total transaction of $915,913.11. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 10,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,661,101.15. This trade represents a 20.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Colin M. Davie sold 2,976 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $359.50, for a total value of $1,069,872.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,365 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,928,717.50. The trade was a 35.68% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.23% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Sherwin-Williams

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SHW. Modera Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Sherwin-Williams by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,257 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $435,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. CoreCap Advisors LLC boosted its position in Sherwin-Williams by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 5,102 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,653,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. Sowell Financial Services LLC grew its stake in Sherwin-Williams by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC now owns 1,057 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $343,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. grew its stake in Sherwin-Williams by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 2,118 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $686,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sapient Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Sapient Capital LLC now owns 9,176 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $2,993,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.67% of the company’s stock.

About Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE: SHW) is a global manufacturer and distributor of paints, coatings and related products. Founded in 1866 and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, the company supplies a broad range of coatings for residential, commercial and industrial applications. Its product offering includes architectural paints and stains, industrial and protective coatings, automotive finishes, and a variety of sundry products such as primers, sealants and specialty treatments used by professionals and consumers.

The company sells through multiple channels, including a large network of company-operated retail paint stores that serve professional contractors and do-it-yourself consumers, as well as through distributors and mass retailers.