Sherwin-Williams Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:SHW)

The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW - Get Free Report) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock investors acquired 4,821 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of 449% compared to the typical daily volume of 878 put options.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Down 0.5 %

NYSE SHW traded down $1.65 during trading on Friday, reaching $334.38. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,478,321 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,633,002. 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 $84.10 billion, a PE ratio of 31.69, a PEG ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.23. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $353.97 and a 200-day moving average price of $364.60. Sherwin-Williams has a 1-year low of $282.09 and a 1-year high of $400.42.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 previous year, the firm earned $1.81 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Sherwin-Williams will post 12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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Sherwin-Williams Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This is a boost from Sherwin-Williams's previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.95%. Sherwin-Williams's payout ratio is 29.95%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SHW has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "hold" rating and set a $380.00 price target (down from $423.00) on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a research report on Monday, March 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective 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. StockNews.com cut shares of Sherwin-Williams from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 28th. Zelman & Associates raised shares of Sherwin-Williams to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $435.00 to $408.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $401.13.

Insider Activity at Sherwin-Williams

In related news, insider Colin M. Davie sold 2,799 shares of Sherwin-Williams stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $360.30, for a total value of $1,008,479.70. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 5,365 shares in the company, valued at $1,933,009.50. This trade represents a 34.28 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Sherwin-Williams

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of SHW. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Park Square Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams in the third quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams in the fourth quarter worth $36,000. 77.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.