Franklin Resources Inc. Grows Stake in PPG Industries, Inc. $PPG

Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE:PPG) by 39.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,695,477 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after buying an additional 1,326,619 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned approximately 2.09% of PPG Industries worth $493,542,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new position in shares of PPG Industries in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PPG Industries in the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its position in shares of PPG Industries by 100.7% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 273 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its stake in PPG Industries by 184.0% in the 2nd quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 284 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in PPG Industries in the 3rd quarter valued at $57,000. 81.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PPG Industries Stock Down 1.7%

Shares of NYSE PPG opened at $104.04 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.62 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The company has a market capitalization of $23.28 billion, a PE ratio of 14.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.15. PPG Industries, Inc. has a 12-month low of $90.24 and a 12-month high of $133.43. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $116.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $107.66.

PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.51 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.57 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $3.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.77 billion. PPG Industries had a net margin of 9.93% and a return on equity of 22.30%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.61 EPS. PPG Industries has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.700-8.100 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that PPG Industries, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PPG Industries Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.71 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. This represents a $2.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. PPG Industries’s payout ratio is presently 40.92%.

Insider Activity at PPG Industries

In other news, VP Anne M. Foulkes sold 3,594 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.61, for a total value of $447,848.34. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 15,641 shares in the company, valued at $1,949,025.01. This trade represents a 18.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Vincent J. Morales sold 78,095 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total value of $10,230,445.00. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 118,811 shares of company stock valued at $15,219,371 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on PPG shares. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of PPG Industries from $109.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Berenberg Bank decreased their target price on PPG Industries from $131.00 to $110.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Citigroup raised their target price on PPG Industries from $127.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. KeyCorp reaffirmed a “sector weight” rating on shares of PPG Industries in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of PPG Industries from $118.00 to $116.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $125.93.

PPG Industries Profile

PPG Industries is a global supplier of paints, coatings and specialty materials that serves industrial, transportation, consumer and construction markets. Founded in 1883 as the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, PPG has evolved from its origins in glass manufacturing into a diversified coatings and materials company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company develops and manufactures a broad array of products used to protect and enhance surfaces, from consumer paints to highly engineered coatings for demanding industrial applications.

PPG’s product portfolio includes architectural and decorative paints, automotive original equipment and refinish coatings, industrial coatings for machinery and equipment, protective and marine coatings, aerospace and defense coatings, and packaging coatings and materials.