Short Interest in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) Drops By 15.0%

The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW - Get Free Report) was the target of a large decrease in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,920,000 shares, a decrease of 15.0% from the March 15th total of 5,790,000 shares. Approximately 2.1% of the company's stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 1,930,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.5 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on SHW. Robert W. Baird set a $370.00 price target on Sherwin-Williams in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Barclays lowered their price target on Sherwin-Williams from $385.00 to $355.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $438.00 to $415.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Berenberg Bank raised shares of Sherwin-Williams from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price target for the company from $321.00 to $420.00 in a report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price objective on Sherwin-Williams from $430.00 to $400.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Sherwin-Williams currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $391.25.

Sherwin-Williams Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SHW traded down $0.56 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $331.40. 1,338,161 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,772,797. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.02, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.46. Sherwin-Williams has a 52-week low of $282.09 and a 52-week high of $400.42. The company has a market cap of $83.35 billion, a PE ratio of 31.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 1.26. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $343.03 and a 200 day moving average of $357.95.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 last year, the business posted $1.81 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Sherwin-Williams will post 12 EPS for the current year.

Sherwin-Williams Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In other Sherwin-Williams news, insider Colin M. Davie sold 2,799 shares of Sherwin-Williams stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the insider now directly owns 5,365 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,933,009.50. The trade was a 34.28 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sherwin-Williams

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Legacy Capital Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in Sherwin-Williams by 2.9% in the fourth quarter. Legacy Capital Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,028 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $350,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. Apella Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $498,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,742 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $1,272,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. IMS Capital Management lifted its stake in Sherwin-Williams by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. IMS Capital Management now owns 1,287 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $437,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC grew its holdings in Sherwin-Williams by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC now owns 1,146 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $388,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. 77.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.