Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich lessened its holdings in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM – Free Report) by 16.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 22,339 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 4,415 shares during the period. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $4,047,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp raised its position in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% in the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the third quarter worth about $37,000. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in Williams-Sonoma by 66.7% in the third quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 220 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its position in Williams-Sonoma by 57.2% in the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 228 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the third quarter worth about $48,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.
Insider Activity
In other news, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 1,419 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.45, for a total transaction of $267,410.55. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 34,138 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,433,306.10. This represents a 3.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $3,000,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 958,524 shares in the company, valued at $191,704,800. This trade represents a 1.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 71,370 shares of company stock valued at $13,268,623 over the last three months. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Williams-Sonoma Trading Down 3.0%
Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 18th. The specialty retailer reported $3.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $2.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.41 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.94% and a return on equity of 51.45%. The company’s revenue was down 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.28 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.26 earnings per share for the current year.
Williams-Sonoma Increases Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. This is an increase from Williams-Sonoma’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 17th. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is currently 29.83%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several research analysts recently issued reports on WSM shares. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $208.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Evercore set a $200.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $250.00 to $225.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $206.00 to $214.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $220.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Thursday, March 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $207.81.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on WSM
Williams-Sonoma Profile
Williams‑Sonoma, Inc is a specialty retailer focused on the home and culinary markets, best known for premium cookware, kitchen tools and home furnishings. The company traces its roots to a single cookware store founded by Chuck Williams in 1956 in Sonoma, California, and has evolved into a multi‑brand home furnishings and housewares business. Its merchandise mix spans cookware and kitchen electrics, tabletop and food prep items, furniture, bedding, lighting and decorative accessories designed for both everyday use and higher‑end interiors.
The company operates a portfolio of consumer brands that target distinct segments of the home market.
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