ProShare Advisors LLC raised its stake in The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW) by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 634,410 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,414 shares during the quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC owned 0.26% of Sherwin-Williams worth $219,671,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. increased its stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 3.7% in the third quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 10,282 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $3,560,000 after buying an additional 370 shares during the period. Legacy Financial Strategies LLC grew its holdings in Sherwin-Williams by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter.
Legacy Financial Strategies LLC now owns 10,979 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $3,801,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares during the last quarter.
Waterfront Wealth Inc. increased its position in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 140.5% in the third quarter. Waterfront Wealth Inc. now owns 7,183 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $2,411,000 after acquiring an additional 4,196 shares during the period.
AdvisorShares Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the third quarter valued at about $485,000. Finally, Plato Investment Management Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 1.5% during the third quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd now owns 11,340 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $3,897,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 77.67% of the company's stock.
Money Moves: BASF posts strong free cash flow despite softer earnings i
BASF Group released preliminary full-year 2025 financial results on Jan. 22, reporting stronger-than-expected free cash flow despite earnings coming in slightly below forecasts.
The chemical giant posted free cash flow of €1.3 billion for 2025, well above analyst consensus of €0.6 billion and exceeding BASF’s own forecast range of €0.4 billion to €0.8 billion. The improvement was driven largely by reduced capital expenditures, with spending on property, plant and equipment and intangible assets falling to €4.3 billion from €6.2 billion in 2024.
Sales for the year are expected to total €59.7 billion, down from €61.4 billion in 2024, excluding discontinued coatings operations. While sales volumes increased slightly, results were weighed down by negative currency effects and lower pricing.
EBITDA before special items reached €6.6 billion, marginally below analyst expectations and BASF’s projected range. The company cited lower margins and unfavourable currency impacts as key factors.
Net income rose to €1.6 billion, exceeding analyst estimates, supported by stronger earnings from BASF’s stake in Wintershall Dea.
BASF will release its full 2025 report on Feb. 27.
Solid Finish: PPG’s Performance Coatings deliver record sales and earnings
PPG’s fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 financial results were anchored by strong Performance Coatings results, reinforcing the segment’s importance to refinish, protective and advanced coatings markets.
For the fourth quarter, PPG reported net sales of $3.9 billion, a 5% year-over-year increase, driven by 3% organic sales growth from higher selling prices and increased volumes across all regions. Reported earnings per diluted share (EPS) were $1.34, compared to $0.01 in the same period last year, while adjusted EPS reached $1.51. The company repurchased approximately $100 million in shares during the quarter.
Tim Knavish, PPG chairman and chief executive officer, highlighted the company’s momentum, particularly within Performance Coatings:
“Performance Coatings segment organic sales grew 3% in the quarter as strong results in aerospace coatings and protective and marine coatings were partially offset by lower automotive refinish coatings demand, reflecting customer order patterns that were weighted toward the first half of the year. Fourth quarter pricing improved 4% year over year as a result of strong demand for our technology-advantaged products and services.”
For the full year, PPG generated net sales of $15.9 billion, with organic sales growth of 2% year over year. Reported EPS totalled $6.92, with adjusted EPS of $7.58. Segment margin reached 17%, while segment EBITDA margin was 19%. Operating cash flow increased to $1.9 billion, more than $500 million higher than the prior year. Share repurchases and dividends for the year totalled $1.4 billion.
Performance Coatings delivered record sales and earnings in 2025, supported by double-digit growth in aerospace coatings and protective and marine coatings. While automotive refinish demand moderated in the second half of the year, pricing strength and continued investment in technology-advantaged products helped sustain overall segment performance.
