The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) Shares Sold by Centaurus Financial Inc.

Centaurus Financial Inc. lowered its holdings in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) by 14.4% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,043 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 176 shares during the period. Centaurus Financial Inc.’s holdings in Sherwin-Williams were worth $398,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Griffin Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 0.3% in the third quarter. Griffin Asset Management Inc. now owns 9,296 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $3,548,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC boosted its holdings in Sherwin-Williams by 2.4% in the third quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 1,201 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $458,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Sherwin-Williams by 47.5% during the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 87 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in Sherwin-Williams by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,560 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $595,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Finally, First Interstate Bank raised its position in Sherwin-Williams by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. First Interstate Bank now owns 1,466 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $560,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. 77.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Performance

NYSE SHW opened at $396.14 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $99.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.46, a P/E/G ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 1.17. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a 52-week low of $272.34 and a 52-week high of $400.31. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $377.90 and its 200 day moving average price is $345.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.97.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 22nd. The specialty chemicals company reported $3.37 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.56 by ($0.19). Sherwin-Williams had a net margin of 11.09% and a return on equity of 74.45%. The company had revenue of $6.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.20 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 11.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Sherwin-Williams Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be paid a $0.715 dividend. This represents a $2.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 15th. Sherwin-Williams’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.49%.

Insider Transactions at Sherwin-Williams

In related news, CFO Allen J. Mistysyn sold 14,520 shares of Sherwin-Williams stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $366.83, for a total value of $5,326,371.60. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 63,520 shares in the company, valued at $23,301,041.60. The trade was a 18.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Gregory P. Sofish sold 2,565 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $378.63, for a total value of $971,185.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 6,329 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,396,349.27. The trade was a 28.84 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on SHW shares. StockNews.com raised Sherwin-Williams from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $350.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $392.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 26th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Sherwin-Williams from $375.00 to $450.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 18th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Sherwin-Williams from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $396.47.

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.