Bensler LLC Grows Position in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW)

Bensler LLC increased its stake in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW - Free Report) by 4.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 24,278 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,020 shares during the quarter. Bensler LLC's holdings in Sherwin-Williams were worth $8,478,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Sherwin-Williams in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Park Square Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Sherwin-Williams during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Perkins Coie Trust Co acquired a new stake in Sherwin-Williams during the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new stake in Sherwin-Williams during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in Sherwin-Williams during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.67% of the company's stock.

Sherwin-Williams Trading Down 5.7%

NYSE SHW traded down $20.27 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $335.93. The company had a trading volume of 2,793,639 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,722,765. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $347.71 and a 200 day moving average of $352.35. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a 1-year low of $292.27 and a 1-year high of $400.42. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $84.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.21.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.25 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.23 by $0.02. Sherwin-Williams had a net margin of 11.61% and a return on equity of 74.50%. The company had revenue of $5.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.42 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.17 earnings per share. Sherwin-Williams's revenue for the quarter was down 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sherwin-Williams Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th were paid a dividend of $0.79 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 16th. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.94%. Sherwin-Williams's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.87%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $410.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Sherwin-Williams from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $350.00 to $420.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Citigroup cut shares of Sherwin-Williams from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $405.00 to $385.00 in a research note on Friday. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $430.00 to $400.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $380.00 target price (down previously from $423.00) on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $397.67.

Sherwin-Williams 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.