Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund bought 9,461 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $2,205,000.
A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,656,062,000. Aristotle Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 22.0% during the 1st quarter. Aristotle Capital Management LLC now owns 11,140,471 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $2,031,242,000 after acquiring an additional 2,009,032 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,139,477 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,199,961,000 after acquiring an additional 147,780 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 9.2% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,664,580 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $485,833,000 after acquiring an additional 224,128 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,919,466 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $342,797,000 after acquiring an additional 130,940 shares during the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Insider Activity at Williams-Sonoma
In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.39, for a total value of $128,615.58. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,195 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,975,846.05. This represents a 2.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through 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 value of $3,000,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 18,156 shares of company stock valued at $3,738,699 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.
Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 0.7%
Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.85 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current year.
Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 17th were given a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.04%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
WSM has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Williams-Sonoma from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Piper Sandler began coverage on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, July 27th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 price objective for the company. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners restated a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, August 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $231.88.
Get 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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