The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) Shares Sold by Schechter Investment Advisors LLC

Schechter Investment Advisors LLC lessened its stake in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) by 8.4% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,194 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 109 shares during the period. Schechter Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Sherwin-Williams were worth $406,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of SHW. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Sherwin-Williams during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. First Personal Financial Services acquired a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in Sherwin-Williams during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in Sherwin-Williams during the third quarter valued at $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.67% of the company’s stock.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Performance

SHW opened at $362.54 on Thursday. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a twelve month low of $282.09 and a twelve month high of $400.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $91.18 billion, a PE ratio of 34.36, a PEG ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.22. 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 firm’s 50-day moving average price is $351.99 and its 200 day moving average price is $365.84.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sherwin-Williams Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a $0.79 dividend. This is a boost from Sherwin-Williams’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. Sherwin-Williams’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.95%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SHW has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $435.00 to $408.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Zelman & Associates raised Sherwin-Williams to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Robert W. Baird set a $370.00 price target on Sherwin-Williams in a research report on Friday, January 31st. StockNews.com cut Sherwin-Williams from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Sherwin-Williams from $370.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Sherwin-Williams has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $403.31.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Colin M. Davie sold 2,799 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of 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 document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Sherwin-Williams 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.