Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Stock Holdings Lifted by Kerusso Capital Management LLC

Kerusso Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 89.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 20,843 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after buying an additional 9,820 shares during the period. Williams-Sonoma makes up 2.5% of Kerusso Capital Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 8th largest position. Kerusso Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $4,074,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 37.9% during the 3rd quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 16,398 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $3,205,000 after purchasing an additional 4,510 shares during the period. Ethic Inc. grew its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 153.7% during the second quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 12,279 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $2,016,000 after acquiring an additional 7,439 shares during the period. Soltis Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in Williams-Sonoma by 54.9% during the second quarter. Soltis Investment Advisors LLC now owns 24,245 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $3,961,000 after acquiring an additional 8,592 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 1,705.3% in the second quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 118,371 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $19,338,000 after acquiring an additional 111,814 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 44.9% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,256,734 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $205,317,000 after purchasing an additional 389,548 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 12,161 shares of the business’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 directly owned 846,927 shares in the company, valued at approximately $153,353,071.89. The trade was a 1.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Up 1.7%

WSM opened at $210.25 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $187.02 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $189.54. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52-week low of $130.07 and a 52-week high of $219.98. The company has a market cap of $25.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.13, a PEG ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 1.58.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The specialty retailer reported $1.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 the consensus estimate of $1.86 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.96 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 EPS for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $210.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 20th. 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 note on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group cut their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $198.71.

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.