Empirical Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM – Free Report) in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm acquired 3,445 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $803,000.
A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 22.4% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,742 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,248,000 after buying an additional 1,236 shares during the period. Bison Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth $227,000. Woodline Partners LP purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the first quarter worth $1,644,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 9.0% in the second quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 4,153 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $678,000 after acquiring an additional 342 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. raised its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 5.9% in the second quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 4,631 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $757,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Williams-Sonoma Stock Up 0.3%
NYSE:WSM opened at $241.03 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $231.02 and its 200 day moving average price is $207.07. The company has a market capitalization of $28.38 billion, a PE ratio of 26.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 1.50. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52-week low of $165.51 and a 52-week high of $254.89.
Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Friday, July 17th will be given a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio is 34.04%.
Insider Buying and Selling at Williams-Sonoma
In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.39, for a total transaction of $128,615.58. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 20,195 shares in the company, valued at $4,975,846.05. This represents a 2.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $3,000,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 923,524 shares in the company, valued at $184,704,800. The trade was a 1.60% 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. In the last quarter, insiders sold 18,156 shares of company stock valued at $3,738,699. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Barclays set a $190.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Weiss Ratings lowered Williams-Sonoma from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $248.00 price objective (up from $200.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Argus set a $230.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, May 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $231.88.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Williams-Sonoma
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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