Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Stock Holdings Decreased by SG Americas Securities LLC

SG Americas Securities LLC lessened its position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 30.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 82,419 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 35,952 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC owned approximately 0.07% of Williams-Sonoma worth $16,109,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WSM. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 2.2% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,991,697 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $978,864,000 after purchasing an additional 127,597 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in Williams-Sonoma by 30.6% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,741,639 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $284,532,000 after buying an additional 407,929 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in Williams-Sonoma by 30.0% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,736,466 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $283,686,000 after buying an additional 401,138 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 34.1% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,436,839 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $227,164,000 after acquiring an additional 365,718 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 2nd quarter worth about $212,107,000. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Williams-Sonoma news, CEO Laura Alber sold 12,161 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $181.07, for a total transaction of $2,201,992.27. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 846,927 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $153,353,071.89. This represents a 1.42% 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. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 3.1%

Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $197.82 on Friday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1-year low of $130.07 and a 1-year high of $219.98. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $185.84 and its 200-day simple moving average is $187.95. The company has a market capitalization of $23.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.76, a P/E/G ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 1.58.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 19th. The specialty retailer reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.09. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.30% and a return on equity of 53.10%. The firm had revenue of $1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.86 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.96 earnings per share. Williams-Sonoma’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, January 16th will be paid a $0.66 dividend. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 16th. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on WSM shares. Evercore ISI upped their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Citigroup cut their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $202.00 to $188.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $198.71.

About Williams-Sonoma

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.