The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) Shares Sold by Alta Capital Management LLC

Alta Capital Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) by 12.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 89,560 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 12,357 shares during the quarter. Sherwin-Williams comprises about 1.8% of Alta Capital Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Alta Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Sherwin-Williams were worth $30,444,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First Personal Financial Services acquired a new stake in Sherwin-Williams in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Sherwin-Williams in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Sherwin-Williams in the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised its holdings in Sherwin-Williams by 1,000.0% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 99 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in Sherwin-Williams in the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.67% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Sherwin-Williams

In related news, insider Colin M. Davie sold 2,799 shares of Sherwin-Williams stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the insider now directly owns 5,365 shares in the company, valued at $1,933,009.50. This trade represents a 34.28 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Performance

Shares of SHW opened at $356.49 on Tuesday. 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 has a market cap of $89.66 billion, a PE ratio of 33.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.22. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $351.49 and its 200-day simple moving average is $365.86. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a 12-month low of $282.09 and a 12-month high of $400.42.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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, equities analysts predict that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 12 EPS for the current year.

Sherwin-Williams Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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 0.89%. This is a positive change from Sherwin-Williams’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. Sherwin-Williams’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.95%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on SHW shares. Berenberg Bank raised shares of 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 report on Friday, January 24th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $423.00 price target (up from $418.00) on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $435.00 to $408.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Robert W. Baird set a $370.00 price target on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Sherwin-Williams from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Sherwin-Williams has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $403.31.

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.