The Sherwin-Williams Company Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.72 (NYSE:SHW)

The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, April 17th, RTT News reports. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 17th will be given a dividend of 0.715 per share by the specialty chemicals company on Friday, June 7th. This represents a $2.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.92%.

Sherwin-Williams has increased its dividend payment by an average of 10.6% per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend annually for the last 47 consecutive years. Sherwin-Williams has a dividend payout ratio of 22.3% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Sherwin-Williams to earn $12.77 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $2.86 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 22.4%.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Performance

Shares of SHW stock opened at $310.16 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $78.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.83. Sherwin-Williams has a one year low of $221.76 and a one year high of $348.37. The company’s 50-day moving average is $328.69 and its 200 day moving average is $296.92.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.81 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $5.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.23 billion. Sherwin-Williams had a net margin of 10.36% and a return on equity of 74.72%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.89 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Sherwin-Williams will post 11.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Sherwin-Williams from $285.00 to $317.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on Sherwin-Williams from $385.00 to $380.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a research note on Friday, March 1st. They set a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Robert W. Baird reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $300.00 price target (up from $270.00) on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn cut shares of Sherwin-Williams from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, January 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $325.94.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Justin T. Binns sold 1,563 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $338.87, for a total transaction of $529,653.81. Following the sale, the insider now owns 14,564 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,935,302.68. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In related news, insider Todd D. Rea sold 2,449 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $313.54, for a total transaction of $767,859.46. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 9,329 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,925,014.66. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Justin T. Binns sold 1,563 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $338.87, for a total value of $529,653.81. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 14,564 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,935,302.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 32,050 shares of company stock worth $10,340,237. Corporate insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sherwin-Williams

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Aspect Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Providence Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 44,853.3% in the 1st quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 6,743 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 6,728 shares during the period. First Capital Advisors Group LLC. bought a new position in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the 2nd quarter worth $37,000. O Dell Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the fourth quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, West Tower Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams in the fourth quarter valued at about $50,000. Institutional investors own 77.67% of the company’s stock.

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.