Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super Acquires Shares of 44,748 The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW)

Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super purchased a new stake in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 44,748 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock, valued at approximately $15,211,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in Sherwin-Williams by 1.0% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,047,174 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $399,675,000 after buying an additional 10,709 shares during the last quarter. Tudor Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Sherwin-Williams in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $252,000. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $608,000. Arvest Bank Trust Division acquired a new stake in Sherwin-Williams in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $350,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB raised its position in Sherwin-Williams by 2,092.0% in the third quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 16,747 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $6,392,000 after purchasing an additional 15,983 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.67% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Sherwin-Williams

In related news, insider Colin M. Davie sold 2,799 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $360.30, for a total transaction 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.60% of the company's stock.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE:SHW traded up $1.75 during trading on Friday, hitting $333.03. 2,238,297 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,787,484. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $344.78 and its 200-day moving average price is $358.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $83.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.57, a PEG ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.26. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a 12-month low of $282.09 and a 12-month high of $400.42.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.02. Sherwin-Williams had a net margin of 11.61% and a return on equity of 74.50%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.81 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sherwin-Williams Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be issued a $0.79 dividend. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. Sherwin-Williams's payout ratio is currently 29.95%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SHW has been the subject of a number of research reports. Berenberg Bank raised Sherwin-Williams from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $321.00 to $420.00 in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Sherwin-Williams from $380.00 to $350.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Zelman & Associates raised shares of Sherwin-Williams to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $430.00 to $400.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $370.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Sherwin-Williams has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $392.50.

Sherwin-Williams Company 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.