Sherwin announced it would be suspending its 401(k) match last week due to tariffs and poor sales. ...

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE: SHW ) made headlines for all the wrong reasons earlier this month. The Ohio-based $86 billion market cap Materials-sector company announced it would suspend 401(k) matching contributions for its employees effective Oct. 1. The move came as its salesFreelance Financial Writer | Investments | Markets | Personal Finance | RetirementI create written content used in various formats including articles, blogs, emails, and social media for financial advisors and investment firms in a cost-ef ...

Company Overview - The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) is an Ohio-based paints and coatings company with a long history and a strong reputation in the industry [2] - The company serves various sectors including automotive, marine applications, and industrial wood coatings, supported by over 5,400 stores and more than 140 manufacturing and distribution sites [2] Dividend Reliability - Sherwin-Williams is recognized for its reliable dividend, maintaining a conservative payout ratio of 26.6% over the past ten years [3] - The company has generated strong free cash flow that comfortably covers its dividend distributions [3] Dividend Growth - The company has increased its dividend payouts for 46 consecutive years, showcasing its commitment to returning value to shareholders [4] - The current quarterly dividend is $0.79 per share, with a dividend yield of 0.91% as of September 20 [4]

Core Insights - Dividend-paying stocks, especially those with increasing payouts, provide stability during uncertain market conditions and help reduce volatility [2][3] - In 2024, global dividend growth accelerated to 8.5%, with significant contributions from the Asia-Pacific region and record dividend initiations in the US, particularly in the technology, media, and telecommunications sectors [4] Company Summaries 3M Company (NYSE:MMM) - 3M is a diversified technology company serving various industries, including electronics and automotive, with a focus on innovation and restructuring [9][10] - The company has a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, reflecting a 4.3% increase, and a dividend yield of 1.86% as of September 20 [11] The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) - Sherwin-Williams is a leading paints and coatings company with a strong history of dividend payments, supported by a network of over 5,400 stores [12][13] - The company has maintained a conservative payout ratio of 26.6% and has increased its dividends for 46 consecutive years, with a quarterly dividend of $0.79 per share and a yield of 0.91% as of September 20 [14]

Group 1 - ClearBridge Investments reported a significant rally in US equities during Q2 2025, with the S&P 500 returning 10.9% and the Russell Midcap Growth Index advancing 18.2% [1] - Growth stocks outperformed value stocks across market caps, contributing to the strategy's outperformance driven by strong performance in the "mid cap plus" segment and solid stock selection in IT, industrials, and financials [1] - The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) experienced a one-month return of -3.79% and a 52-week loss of 5.89%, with a market capitalization of $88.065 billion as of September 16, 2025 [2] Group 2 - ClearBridge Growth Strategy added The Sherwin-Williams Company to its portfolio, highlighting its high-quality business model and potential for earnings growth as housing turnover normalizes [3] - The company is noted for its strong through-cycle pricing power and defensive characteristics, which may provide a natural offset during periods of volume decline [3] - Despite its potential, The Sherwin-Williams Company is not among the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds, with 67 hedge fund portfolios holding the stock at the end of Q2 2025, a slight decrease from 68 in the previous quarter [4]

Group 1: Wearables and IPOs - Meta Platforms (META) is set to unveil new smart glasses named "Celeste" with a built-in display at a retail price of $800 [1] - StubHub (STUB) is going public today after several delays, pricing its shares amid a recovering IPO market in 2025 [1] Group 2: Manufacturing Investments - GSK (GSK) announced a $30 billion investment in R&D and manufacturing in the United States [2] - Eli Lilly (LLY) revealed plans for a new $5 billion production plant in Virginia [2] Group 3: Federal Reserve Insights - Danielle DiMartino Booth discussed significant changes at the Federal Reserve, highlighting the impact of easy credit on consumer spending [2] - The conversation noted the reality of stagflation at the company level, with a margin squeeze being observed [2] Group 4: Retail and Media Developments - Kroger (KR) is reintroducing paper coupons as part of its retail strategy [3] - Paramount Skydance's bid for Warner Bros. (WBD) may take longer than expected [3] - Apollo Global (APO) is exploring the sale of AOL, an internet pioneer [4] Group 5: Technology and Transportation - Baidu (BIDU) shares surged as investors anticipate growth in AI [4] - Waymo is set to test robotaxis at San Francisco International Airport [5] Group 6: Market Updates - In Asia, Japan's market decreased by 0.3%, while Hong Kong increased by 1.8% [6] - In Europe, London saw a slight increase of 0.2%, while Paris decreased by 0.1% [6] - Futures indicate a slight increase in Dow by 0.1%, with S&P flat and Nasdaq down by 0.1% [6]

When businesses face a financial pinch, retirement benefits are often the first things to be cut, experts note ...

Group 1 - The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) has gained 7.3% year-to-date but has lagged behind the S&P 500 in 2025 [2] - The company's shares have been flat over the past month after a 3.7% dip earlier this week, indicating struggles with weak demand [2] - The firm missed its second-quarter earnings estimates in July and subsequently cut its full-year profit forecast [2] Group 2 - Jim Cramer expressed a cautious but positive outlook on Sherwin-Williams, emphasizing the belief in home renovations and the potential for stock appreciation when the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates [3] - Cramer highlighted the importance of being proactive in the market, suggesting that stocks like Sherwin-Williams could rise significantly if long-term interest rates decrease [2][3] - Despite the potential of Sherwin-Williams, there is a belief that some AI stocks may offer greater returns with limited downside risk [3]

Core Insights - The "2025 Global Industrial Paint Brand Top 30" list was published by Coatings World, ranking brands based on their industrial paint sales revenue for the fiscal year 2024, with a minimum entry threshold of $260 million [1][10] - The total sales revenue of the listed companies reached $53.9394 billion, accounting for 51.60% of the global industrial paint market [1][10] - The top ten brands generated a total sales revenue of $44.068 billion, a decrease of $2.989 billion from the previous year, representing 42.17% of the global market share, down 1.89 percentage points [1][15] Market Overview - The global industrial paint market is valued at approximately $104.5 billion in 2024, showing a decline compared to the previous year [3] - The market remains fragmented, with a CR10 of less than 43%, indicating no monopoly [17] - High concentration exists in specific segments such as automotive, marine, and aerospace coatings, with the top 10 brands holding 89% and 92% of the respective markets [17] Brand Performance - PPG Industries leads the ranking with sales of $10.9 billion, followed by Sherwin-Williams at $8.05 billion and AkzoNobel at $6.731 billion [12][14] - Other notable brands include Axalta, BASF, Nippon Paint, Kansai, Jotun, and Hempel, with revenues ranging from $5.276 billion to $2.623 billion [14][24] - Chinese brands such as Xiangjiang Paint, Dewey, and Megachem have made significant strides, with Xiangjiang Paint maintaining its position as the top Chinese brand at $530.7 million [21][22][23] Regional Distribution - The majority of top brands are located in developed countries, with the U.S. having six brands, Japan five, and Germany four [18] - China's industrial paint sector is robust, with a total revenue of approximately 408.903 billion yuan ($56.4 billion) in 2024, with industrial paint accounting for over 70% [20] Financial Highlights - PPG's industrial paint revenue decreased by 5.7% to $6.687 billion, while Sherwin-Williams' industrial paint revenue grew by 0.63% to approximately $8.0503 billion [3][4] - AkzoNobel's industrial paint revenue fell by 2% to $2.036 billion, while other brands like Kansai and Jotun reported growth in their industrial paint segments [4][6][7] - Megachem reported a remarkable growth of 87.56% in revenue, reaching $2.139 billion, driven by strong demand in the container paint market [23]

Core Viewpoint - Sherwin-Williams has experienced a 7.1% increase in share price since its last earnings report, outperforming the S&P 500, but there are concerns about whether this positive trend will continue leading up to the next earnings release [1] Financial Performance - In Q2 2025, Sherwin-Williams reported earnings of $3 per share, a decline of 14.3% from $3.50 in the same quarter last year, and adjusted earnings of $3.38 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.76 [2] - The company generated revenues of approximately $6.31 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 0.7%, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.28 billion [2] Segmental Review - The Paint Stores Group segment achieved net sales of $3.70 billion, up 2.3% year over year, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.68 billion, driven by higher selling prices despite a slight decline in volume [3] - The Consumer Brands Group segment saw a 4.1% decline in net sales to $809.4 million, missing the consensus estimate of $821.3 million, attributed to weak DIY demand in North America and unfavorable foreign currency translation [4] - The Performance Coatings Group segment's net sales decreased by approximately 0.3% year over year to around $1.80 billion, beating the consensus estimate of $1.77 billion, with flat sales impacted by lower selling prices [5] Financials - In the first half of 2025, the company generated $1.05 billion in net operating cash and returned $1.27 billion to shareholders through dividends and stock repurchases of 2.5 million shares [6] - As of June 30, 2025, the company had authorization to repurchase 32 million shares of its common stock [6] Outlook - For Q3 and the full year 2025, the company expects net sales to fluctuate by a low-single-digit percentage, indicating a stable revenue outlook [7] - Projected net income per share for the full year ranges between $10.11 and $10.41, while adjusted net income per share is forecasted between $11.20 and $11.50 [7] Estimate Trends - Following the earnings release, there has been a downward trend in estimates for the stock, indicating a shift in investor sentiment [8][11] - Sherwin-Williams currently holds a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), suggesting expectations of below-average returns in the coming months [11] VGM Scores - The company has a Growth Score of B but lags with a Momentum Score of C and a Value Score of D, placing it in the bottom 40% for the value investment strategy [9][10]