Manning & Napier Advisors LLC Takes $923,000 Position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 3,845 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $923,000.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WSM. IMG Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% during the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the second quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Ballast Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the first quarter worth $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on WSM. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Credit Suisse Group set a $261.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Monday. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $248.00 price target (up from $200.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Evercore set a $240.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Williams-Sonoma from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $234.11.

Insider Buying and Selling at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.39, for a total value of $128,615.58. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,195 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,975,846.05. This trade represents a 2.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 3,156 shares of company stock valued at $738,699. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Down 1.3%

WSM opened at $234.74 on Wednesday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1-year low of $165.51 and a 1-year high of $254.89. The company has a market cap of $27.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.29, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.50. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $232.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $208.00.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Friday, July 17th were issued a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio is currently 34.04%.

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.