Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Shares Acquired by Pacer Advisors Inc.

Pacer Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 2.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 369,808 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after buying an additional 7,388 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $67,427,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WSM. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd increased its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 1,844.3% during the first quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 47,733 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $8,703,000 after purchasing an additional 45,278 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 5,019.6% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 89,388 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $15,964,000 after purchasing an additional 87,642 shares during the last quarter. Little House Capital LLC purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 1st quarter valued at about $801,000. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,173,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 23.8% in the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 294,598 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $52,612,000 after buying an additional 56,578 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 0.1%

WSM opened at $228.89 on Monday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a twelve month low of $165.51 and a twelve month high of $244.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.95 billion, a PE ratio of 25.63, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.50. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $221.01 and its 200 day moving average price is $203.94.

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

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Williams-Sonoma news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total value of $254,080.88. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 21,717 shares in the company, valued at $4,962,117.33. This represents a 4.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.61, for a total value of $3,452,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 938,524 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $161,998,627.64. This trade represents a 2.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 36,634 shares of company stock worth $6,812,283. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WSM has been the subject of several research reports. Citigroup cut their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $208.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Piper Sandler began coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, July 27th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America started coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, June 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $225.00 price target (up from $220.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $190.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $215.47.

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.