Before the market opened today Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) announced earnings for the opening quarter of 2012. The company’s announcement revealed that in the three months ending March 31st the company earned $0.95 per share. In the same period the company took in revenues of $2.14 Billion. In the same period last year the company announced earnings of 63 cents per share and revenue of $1.86 billion. The growth in the company’s fortunes is down to improving sales in an atmosphere of increased consumer growth.
Leading up to the report analysts expected the company to report earnings of 88 cents per share. Revenues were forecast to be $2.075 billion. Earlier this month the company announced that its own expectations for the quarter was rampeed up to earnings of between 92 and 95 cents per share.
Sherwin Williams is a company in the building materials industry that specializes in the manufacture and sale of paint and related products. The company is one of the biggest of its kind and has a place in the Fotune 500 list. It’s industry is split between several distinct branches including paints and finishings for buildings, the automotive industry and the supply of painting equipment.
In its industry the company relies on several leading economic indicators in order to increase sales. A resurgent property market boosts sales of home paints to individuals and construction companies while the recovering automotive sector provides greater demand for its vehicular painting products.
The company is highly reliant on the state of the market and so is a bet on the recovery of the economy. Year on year this has been good but going forward analysts are unsure of the direction of the world economy and therefore sales of the firm’s products. In order to achieve the company needs markets in the US to recover quickly.
Sherwin Williams has tried many different strategies in order to boost sales. The company releases a thrice yearly magazine for designers called STIR. That magazine has been published since 2004 but the company has recently augmented the brand with an iPhone app that allows it to directly interact with its customers and their demands.
As long as the company continues to innovate and recovery in the market remains steady there should not be any problems with Sherwin Williams in the short to mid term.
