Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Buys Shares of 23,245 The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW)

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new stake in shares of The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 23,245 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,902,000.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sherwin-Williams in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the third quarter worth approximately $32,000. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 1,000.0% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 99 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in Sherwin-Williams in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, WR Wealth Planners LLC lifted its stake in Sherwin-Williams by 41.7% in the fourth quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 119 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.67% of the company’s stock.

Sherwin-Williams Price Performance

Sherwin-Williams stock opened at $342.73 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.02, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 0.79. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a 52-week low of $282.09 and a 52-week high of $400.42. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $353.95 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $365.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $86.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.49, a PEG ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.23.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.09 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 company posted $1.81 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 12 earnings per share for the current year.

Sherwin-Williams Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.79 per share. This is an increase from Sherwin-Williams’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.92%. Sherwin-Williams’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.95%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on SHW shares. Berenberg Bank raised shares of Sherwin-Williams from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $321.00 to $420.00 in a research report on Friday, January 24th. StockNews.com cut shares of Sherwin-Williams from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 28th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $438.00 to $415.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $380.00 target price (down previously from $423.00) on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $370.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $401.13.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Sherwin-Williams news, insider Colin M. Davie sold 2,799 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 $1,933,009.50. This trade represents a 34.28 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.