Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Shares Sold by Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 56.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 22,966 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 29,489 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $4,524,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Boston Partners purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $254,778,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $212,107,000. Voya Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 184.3% during the 3rd quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 861,236 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $167,927,000 after purchasing an additional 558,311 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 30.7% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,269,461 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $443,566,000 after buying an additional 532,995 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 4,142.7% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 478,072 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $93,439,000 after buying an additional 466,804 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

NYSE:WSM opened at $176.86 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $200.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $193.95. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1-year low of $130.07 and a 1-year high of $222.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.98, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.64.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 18th. The specialty retailer reported $3.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $0.14. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.94% and a return on equity of 51.45%. The company had revenue of $2.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.41 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.28 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 17th will be issued a $0.76 dividend. This is a boost from Williams-Sonoma’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is presently 29.83%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $235.00 to $225.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Weiss Ratings raised Williams-Sonoma from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $188.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $220.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Evercore set a $215.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $209.56.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.04, for a total transaction of $3,660,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 786,537 shares in the company, valued at approximately $143,967,732.48. This trade represents a 2.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 32,684 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.64, for a total value of $5,904,037.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 34,138 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,166,688.32. The trade was a 48.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 88,451 shares of company stock worth $16,980,845 over the last quarter. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.