Citigroup Has Lowered Expectations for Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) Stock Price

Key Points

• Citigroup lowered its price target for Sherwin‑Williams to $385 (from $410) but maintained a buy rating, implying roughly an 18% upside from current levels.
• Analyst consensus is a Moderate Buy with an average target of $386.31 (11 buys, 3 holds, 1 sell), though firms like Deutsche Bank and RBC have trimmed ratings/targets into the ~$376–$380 range.
• Sherwin‑Williams beat quarterly estimates (EPS $2.23 vs. $2.16, revenue $5.60B), yet shares trade near $326 (52‑week high $379.65); insiders recently sold shares and institutional ownership is about 77.7%.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW - Get Free Report) had its price target reduced by equities researchers at Citigroup from $410.00 to $385.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "buy" rating on the specialty chemicals company's stock. Citigroup's price target would suggest a potential upside of 18.09% from the company's current price.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Sherwin-Williams from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $380.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Vertical Research raised shares of Sherwin-Williams from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $371.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Zacks Research cut shares of Sherwin-Williams from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on Sherwin-Williams from $390.00 to $376.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a report on Friday. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Sherwin-Williams currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $386.31.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE SHW traded up $5.48 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $326.03. 1,835,699 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,827,613. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $80.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.25. Sherwin-Williams has a 52-week low of $301.58 and a 52-week high of $379.65. The company has a 50-day moving average of $344.21 and a 200-day moving average of $340.04.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.16 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $5.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.57 billion. Sherwin-Williams had a return on equity of 65.26% and a net margin of 10.90%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.09 EPS. Analysts forecast that Sherwin-Williams will post 12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Sherwin-Williams

In other news, insider Colin M. Davie sold 2,976 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $359.50, for a total value of $1,069,872.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,365 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,928,717.50. This represents a 35.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Bryan J. Young sold 2,513 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $364.47, for a total value of $915,913.11. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 10,045 shares in the company, valued at $3,661,101.15. This trade represents a 20.01% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.23% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sherwin-Williams

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cornerstone Planning LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the fourth quarter worth about $2,435,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its position in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 7.2% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 106,890 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $34,636,000 after purchasing an additional 7,149 shares during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors raised its stake in Sherwin-Williams by 127.4% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 5,545 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $1,797,000 after purchasing an additional 3,107 shares in the last quarter. Demming Financial Services Corp ADV bought a new stake in Sherwin-Williams during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,063,000. Finally, Larry Mathis Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in Sherwin-Williams during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $221,000. 77.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams NYSE: SHW is a global manufacturer and distributor of paints, coatings and related products. Founded in 1866 and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, the company supplies a broad range of coatings for residential, commercial and industrial applications. Its product offering includes architectural paints and stains, industrial and protective coatings, automotive finishes, and a variety of sundry products such as primers, sealants and specialty treatments used by professionals and consumers.

The company sells through multiple channels, including a large network of company-operated retail paint stores that serve professional contractors and do-it-yourself consumers, as well as through distributors and mass retailers.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.