Candriam S.C.A. Purchases 8,920 Shares of The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW)

Candriam S.C.A. increased its position in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) by 11.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 87,435 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,920 shares during the quarter. Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings in Sherwin-Williams were worth $29,722,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Sherwin-Williams during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. First Personal Financial Services acquired a new position in Sherwin-Williams during the third quarter worth $29,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Sherwin-Williams during the third quarter worth $32,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Sherwin-Williams during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in Sherwin-Williams during the third quarter worth $38,000. 77.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on SHW shares. Berenberg Bank upgraded Sherwin-Williams from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the company from $321.00 to $420.00 in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Sherwin-Williams from $450.00 to $405.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Robert W. Baird set a $370.00 target price on Sherwin-Williams in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Mizuho decreased their price target on Sherwin-Williams from $435.00 to $408.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $403.31.

Insider Activity at Sherwin-Williams

In related news, insider Colin M. Davie sold 2,799 shares of Sherwin-Williams stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the insider now owns 5,365 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,933,009.50. This trade represents a 34.28 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Sherwin-Williams Trading Up 2.0 %

NYSE:SHW opened at $362.54 on Thursday. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a fifty-two week low of $282.09 and a fifty-two week high of $400.42. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $91.18 billion, a PE ratio of 34.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.22. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $351.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is $365.84.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) last announced its 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 return on equity of 74.50% and a net margin of 11.61%. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.81 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sherwin-Williams Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a $0.79 dividend. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This is a positive change from Sherwin-Williams’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. Sherwin-Williams’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.95%.

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.