Sherwin-Williams tempest-tossed in Q3

CLEVELAND — Hurricanes and merger costs put a dent in Sherwin-Williams’ Q3 profits, which tumbled by 18% to $316.6 million from a year ago. By the paint manufacturer’s own estimates, the storms cost it about $50 million in sales. Nevertheless, net sales rose by 37.4% to a record $4.51 billion. Same-store sales in the U.S. and Canada increased by 5.2%, while Valspar operations increased earnings by $0.49 per share.