The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) Shares Sold by Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund

Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund cut its position in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) by 7.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,771 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 618 shares during the quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund’s holdings in Sherwin-Williams were worth $2,699,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Tsfg LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 754 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $235,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 666 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $208,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Tealwood Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Tealwood Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,913 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $1,706,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 1,097 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $342,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 1,140 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $396,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. 77.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Sherwin-Williams Price Performance

NYSE:SHW traded up $6.48 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $349.22. 1,929,018 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,811,514. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $307.26 and its 200-day moving average is $314.86. The stock has a market cap of $88.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.23, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.17, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a 1-year low of $232.06 and a 1-year high of $351.99.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The specialty chemicals company reported $3.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.51 by $0.19. Sherwin-Williams had a return on equity of 75.58% and a net margin of 10.92%. The business had revenue of $6.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.33 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.29 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 11.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sherwin-Williams Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th will be issued a $0.715 dividend. This represents a $2.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.82%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 16th. Sherwin-Williams’s payout ratio is currently 30.49%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Sherwin-Williams from $320.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com downgraded Sherwin-Williams from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Sherwin-Williams from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Redburn Atlantic upgraded Sherwin-Williams to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on Sherwin-Williams from $390.00 to $370.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $355.00.

About Sherwin-Williams

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.