Lazard Asset Management LLC Lowers Holdings in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW)

Lazard Asset Management LLC decreased its stake in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW - Free Report) by 29.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 33,947 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after selling 14,312 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC's holdings in Sherwin-Williams were worth $11,539,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new position in Sherwin-Williams during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in Sherwin-Williams during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. WR Wealth Planners LLC lifted its stake in Sherwin-Williams by 41.7% in the fourth quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 119 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Sherwin-Williams during the fourth quarter worth approximately $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.67% of the company's stock.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Performance

Shares of SHW stock traded down $2.63 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $360.88. The company had a trading volume of 296,374 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,758,754. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.02, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 0.79. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $341.61 and a 200-day moving average price of $355.15. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a one year low of $282.09 and a one year high of $400.42. The firm has a market cap of $90.44 billion, a PE ratio of 34.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.25.

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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.23 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $5.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.42 billion. Sherwin-Williams had a net margin of 11.61% and a return on equity of 74.50%. The firm's revenue was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.17 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sherwin-Williams Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.79 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.88%. Sherwin-Williams's dividend payout ratio is currently 29.87%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Sherwin-Williams news, insider Colin M. Davie sold 2,799 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $360.30, for a total value of $1,008,479.70. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 5,365 shares in the company, valued at $1,933,009.50. This represents a 34.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.60% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Mizuho set a $395.00 price target on Sherwin-Williams in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Sherwin-Williams from $410.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Citigroup cut their price objective on Sherwin-Williams from $423.00 to $375.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Sherwin-Williams from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their price target for the company from $350.00 to $420.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Sherwin-Williams from $405.00 to $385.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $397.00.

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.