Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Why Is Sherwin-Williams (SHW) Up 2.5% Since Last Earnings Report?

Read MoreHide Full Article

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Sherwin-Williams (SHW - Free Report) . Shares have added about 2.5% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Sherwin-Williams due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.

Sherwin-Williams’ Earnings and Revenues Lag Estimates in Q3

Sherwin-Williams logged third-quarter 2024 earnings (as reported) of $3.18 per share, up around 7.8% from $2.95 in the year-ago quarter.

Barring one-time items, adjusted earnings in the reported quarter were $3.37 per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.56.

Sherwin-Williams posted revenues of roughly $6.16 billion, up around 0.7% year over year. The figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.23 billion. The increase is due to higher Paint Stores Group sales and the impact of the 2023 acquisition. The upsides were partially offset by lower sales in the Consumer Brands and Performance Coatings Groups, and a roughly 1% unfavorable foreign currency translation.

Segmental Review

The Paint Stores Group segment registered net sales of $3.65 billion in the third quarter, up around 3.2% year over year. The figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.74 billion. Net sales in Paint Stores Group increased due to low-single-digit sales volume growth and the sustained realization of higher selling prices implemented earlier in the year.

Net sales in the Consumer Brands Group segment declined 7.5% year over year to $790.5 million, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $770.8 million. Net sales in Consumer Brands Group fell due to weaker DIY demand in North America and an estimated 4% impact from adverse foreign currency translation led by Latin America.

Net sales in the Performance Coatings Group declined roughly 0.2% year over year to $1.72 billion, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.73 billion. Performance Coatings’ net sales were nearly flat due to sales volume growth, including the 2023 acquisition, offset by adverse foreign currency translation.

Financials

During the first nine months of 2024, the company generated $2.22 billion in net operating cash. It returned $1.97 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and the repurchase of 4.4 million shares of common stock. As of Sept. 30, 2024, Sherwin-Williams had the remaining authority to purchase 35.3 million shares of its common stock through open market purchases.

Outlook

The company forecasts its consolidated net sales growth for the fourth quarter of 2024 to be flat to up low single digits percentage compared with the fourth quarter of 2023. The company expects full-year earnings per share to be in the range of $10.3 to $10.6. This includes 80 cents per share in acquisition-related amortization expense. Full-year 2024 adjusted earnings per share are forecast to be in the range of $11.10 to $11.40.

 

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?

It turns out, fresh estimates have trended downward during the past month.

VGM Scores

At this time, Sherwin-Williams has a nice Growth Score of B, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with a D. Following the exact same course, the stock was allocated a grade of D on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of C. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

Outlook

Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Notably, Sherwin-Williams has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW) - free report >>

Published in