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Why Is Sherwin-Williams (SHW) Up 10% Since Last Earnings Report?

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It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Sherwin-Williams (SHW - Free Report) . Shares have added about 10% 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 its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.

Sherwin-Williams’ Earnings & Sales Top Estimates in Q1

Sherwin-Williams has logged earnings (as reported) of $3.46 per share in first-quarter 2020, up 32% from $2.62 in the year-ago quarter.

Barring one-time items, adjusted earnings in the quarter were $4.08 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.01.

Sherwin-Williams posted revenues of $4,146.7 million, up 2.6% year over year. Moreover, the figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4,088.8 million.

The company’s results gained from higher architectural paint sales volume, and increased sales in the packaging and coil divisions throughout all regions, which was partly offset by weaker demand in some end markets outside the United States, unfavorable currency translation, and the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak.

Segmental Review

The Americas Group segment registered net sales of $2.31 billion in the first quarter, up 7% year over year. The upside can be attributed to higher architectural paint sales across all end markets in North American stores which were partly offset by unfavorable currency translation.

Net sales in the Consumer Brands Group segment decreased 4.9% to $622.3 million. The decline was mainly caused by weaker sales in the Asia Pacific and the planned exit of the ACE business, which were partly offset by higher sales volume across most of its customers in North America and Europe.

Net sales in the Performance Coatings Group fell 1.1% year over year to $1.22 billion in the reported quarter. The decline was mainly caused by softness in end-market demand in some businesses in the Asia Pacific and Europe, and unfavorable currency translation effect, which were partly offset by higher sales in the packaging and coil divisions across all regions.

Financials and Shareholder Returns

At the end of the quarter, Sherwin-Williams had cash and cash equivalents of $238.5 million, up 152.6% year over year. Long-term debt declined 4.8% year over year to $8,289.2 million.

Outlook

The company expects the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak to continue through the second quarter. Moreover, it anticipates consolidated net sales for the second quarter to decrease year over year by a low-to-mid-teen percentage.

The company now expects net income per share of $16.46-$18.46 as compared with the previously mentioned $19.91-$20.71 for 2020.
 

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?

It turns out, fresh estimates have trended downward during the past month. The consensus estimate has shifted -10.21% due to these changes.

VGM Scores

Currently, Sherwin-Williams has an average Growth Score of C, however its Momentum Score is doing a bit better with a B. However, 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 D. 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. It's no surprise Sherwin-Williams has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). We expect a below average return from the stock in the next few months.


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