Empowered Funds LLC Purchases 3,978 Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 9.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 44,195 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,978 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $8,058,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp grew its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% during the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. MidFirst Bank bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC increased its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% during the first quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 168 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

WSM opened at $228.89 on Friday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $165.51 and a fifty-two week high of $244.65. The company’s 50-day moving average is $221.01 and its 200 day moving average is $203.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.63, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.49.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.13. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.85 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Friday, July 17th will be given a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.04%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WSM has been the topic of several recent research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $192.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Evercore set a $200.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Williams-Sonoma from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the company from $185.00 to $218.00 in a report on Monday, April 13th. Bank of America began coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, June 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $215.47.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $254,080.88. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 21,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,962,117.33. This trade represents a 4.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the business’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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 923,524 shares in the company, valued at approximately $184,704,800. This represents a 1.60% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 36,634 shares of company stock worth $6,812,283 over the last quarter. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.