The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) Stock Holdings Increased by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) by 5.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,492,044 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after buying an additional 79,322 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned about 0.59% of Sherwin-Williams worth $507,191,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 1.0% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,047,174 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $399,675,000 after purchasing an additional 10,709 shares during the period. Freedom Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Sherwin-Williams during the 3rd quarter worth about $234,000. Public Sector Pension Investment Board lifted its stake in Sherwin-Williams by 14.0% during the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 8,980 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $3,427,000 after buying an additional 1,100 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 14.5% in the third quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 25,571 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $9,760,000 after buying an additional 3,232 shares during the period. Finally, Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec increased its position in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 63.7% in the third quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 102,280 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $39,037,000 after acquiring an additional 39,809 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.67% of the company’s stock.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Up 2.8 %

Sherwin-Williams stock opened at $349.35 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 Sherwin-Williams Company has a 1-year low of $282.09 and a 1-year high of $400.42. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $353.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $363.63. The company has a market capitalization of $87.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.11, a P/E/G ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.23.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 quarter last year, the company earned $1.81 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sherwin-Williams Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.79 per share. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.90%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This is an increase from Sherwin-Williams’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. Sherwin-Williams’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.95%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Colin M. Davie sold 2,799 shares of the firm’s 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 approximately $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 through this link. Insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

SHW has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $450.00 to $405.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Berenberg Bank raised Sherwin-Williams from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $321.00 to $420.00 in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and set a $380.00 price target (down from $423.00) on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on Sherwin-Williams from $435.00 to $408.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $423.00 target price (up previously from $418.00) on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Sherwin-Williams has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $401.13.

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.