36,408 Shares in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Acquired by Empowered Funds LLC

Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund acquired 36,408 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $8,487,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% during the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. MidFirst Bank bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Ballast Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 1st quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC increased its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% in the 1st quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 168 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other Williams-Sonoma news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $254,080.88. Following the completion of 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 3,156 shares of company stock valued at $738,699. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Down 1.4%

NYSE WSM opened at $235.07 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $233.48 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $208.49. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 12 month low of $165.51 and a 12 month high of $254.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.68 billion, a PE ratio of 24.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.50.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.02. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.48% and a net margin of 14.73%.The company had revenue of $1.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.93 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.00 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 17th were given a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is 31.12%.

Williams-Sonoma News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Williams-Sonoma this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Williams-Sonoma exceeded expectations with adjusted earnings of $2.10 per share versus the $2.08 consensus and revenue of $1.96 billion versus estimates of $1.93 billion. Comparable sales increased 6.2%, reflecting broad-based growth across its brands, including Pottery Barn and West Elm. Williams-Sonoma Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its full-year revenue and earnings outlook, signaling confidence that market-share gains and improving comparable-sales trends can continue in the second half. Analysts highlighted that the company has moved beyond its most difficult year-over-year margin comparison, while comps are accelerating. Williams-Sonoma’s Most Difficult Margin Comparison Is Behind It
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts raised their price targets following the results. KeyBanc increased its target to $270, RBC reaffirmed an Outperform rating with a $260 target, and Morgan Stanley lifted its target to $240 while maintaining an Equal Weight rating. Jim Cramer also argued that the post-earnings selloff did not reflect the strength of the report. Analysts Increase Forecasts on Williams-Sonoma
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target from $248 to $252 but retained a Neutral rating, while Guggenheim also maintained Neutral. This reflects continued confidence in the business but limited conviction that the current valuation offers substantial upside. Analyst Insights on Williams-Sonoma
• Negative Sentiment: Gross margin declined because of tariffs, creating a key risk to earnings if higher costs cannot be offset through pricing, sourcing, or operating efficiencies. The company also remains exposed to a weak housing market and cautious discretionary spending. Williams-Sonoma Grew Comps 6.2% and Raised Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: The muted market reaction suggests investors may have been positioned for an even stronger report, or may be taking profits after a substantial rally. At roughly 24 times earnings and near its 52-week high, WSM’s valuation leaves less room for execution disappointments.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WSM has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $270.00 price target (up from $250.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Williams-Sonoma from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $261.00 target price (up from $250.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, August 24th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $247.00 target price (up from $190.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Thursday. Finally, Credit Suisse Group set a $261.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, August 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $244.44.

Williams-Sonoma Company 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.