Updating your Conservative stocks: Sherwin-Williams, Sony Group, and Honda Motor

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SHERWIN-WILLIAMS CO. $334 (www.sherwin-williams.com) is a hold. The paint maker is up 38% in the past year as COVID-19 lockdowns have prompted consumers to update their home decor. However, shortages of raw materials are driving up Sherwin’s costs. As a result, its gross profit margin in the third quarter fell to 41.6% from 47.9% a year earlier. A high p/e of 39.3 also adds risk. Sherwin-Williams is a hold. SONY GROUP CORP. ADRs $121 (www.sony.net) is a hold. The Japanese conglomerate has reportedly agreed to pay $500 million for the publishing rights and music catalogues of rock star Bruce Springsteen. To put that price in context, the company’s market cap is $151.0 billion. The purchase should generate annual profits of about $9.6 million thanks to the rise of music-streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. However, shortages of chips and other components continue to disrupt Sony’s consumer electronics businesses. Sony is a hold. HONDA MOTOR CO. LTD. ADRs $28 (www.honda.com) is a buy. The company is Japan’s second-largest carmaker, and the world’s biggest…