Wilson Asset Management International PTY Ltd. Makes New $3.50 Million Investment in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW)

Wilson Asset Management International PTY Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 10,036 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock, valued at approximately $3,504,000. Sherwin-Williams comprises 0.9% of Wilson Asset Management International PTY Ltd.'s portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Park Square Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Perkins Coie Trust Co purchased a new position in Sherwin-Williams in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new stake in Sherwin-Williams in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Sherwin-Williams in the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, HWG Holdings LP purchased a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the first quarter valued at approximately $46,000. 77.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $380.00 target price (down from $423.00) on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Citigroup cut shares of Sherwin-Williams from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $405.00 to $385.00 in a research report on Friday, June 13th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Sherwin-Williams from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $350.00 to $420.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Barclays cut their target price on Sherwin-Williams from $385.00 to $355.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. Finally, Mizuho set a $395.00 price target on Sherwin-Williams in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $391.31.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Down 0.7%

NYSE:SHW traded down $2.36 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $350.16. 1,088,732 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,716,156. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90. The business's 50-day moving average price is $350.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $347.99. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a 1 year low of $294.32 and a 1 year high of $400.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $87.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.10, a P/E/G ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 1.18.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.23 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $5.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.42 billion. Sherwin-Williams had a return on equity of 71.86% and a net margin of 11.63%. Sherwin-Williams's quarterly revenue was down 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.17 EPS. Analysts predict that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 12 earnings per share for the current year.

Sherwin-Williams Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th were issued a dividend of $0.79 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 16th. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.90%. Sherwin-Williams's dividend payout ratio is currently 29.87%.

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.