Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Shares Sold by Meritage Portfolio Management

Meritage Portfolio Management lessened its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 21.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 74,983 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 20,136 shares during the period. Williams-Sonoma makes up 1.0% of Meritage Portfolio Management’s holdings, making the stock its 16th biggest position. Meritage Portfolio Management owned approximately 0.06% of Williams-Sonoma worth $14,655,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WSM. Maseco LLP acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 111.8% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 144 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 130.8% in the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 180 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the second quarter worth about $48,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 1,236.8% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 254 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 235 shares during the period. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 0.8%

WSM opened at $206.40 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $24.64 billion, a PE ratio of 22.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 1.58. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a twelve month low of $130.07 and a twelve month high of $219.98. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $186.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $189.40.

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

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The company 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 16th. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.04%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on WSM. Telsey Advisory Group decreased their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $202.00 to $188.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Evercore ISI increased their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $198.71.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Williams-Sonoma news, CEO Laura Alber sold 17,839 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.51, for a total value of $3,184,439.89. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 859,088 shares in the company, valued at approximately $153,355,798.88. This trade represents a 2.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Company 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.