Saudi Central Bank Has $1.94 Million Stock Position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Saudi Central Bank raised its position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 89.1% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 8,331 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after buying an additional 3,925 shares during the quarter. Saudi Central Bank’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $1,942,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of WSM. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp increased its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% in the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. MidFirst Bank bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Ballast Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% in 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. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,195 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,975,846.05. This represents a 2.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 2,634 shares of company stock valued at $632,696 over the last quarter. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WSM has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $261.00 price target (up from $230.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Piper Sandler started coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, July 27th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $261.00 price target (up from $250.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Seaport Research Partners restated a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $248.00 to $252.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $245.56.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

NYSE:WSM opened at $227.12 on Tuesday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52-week low of $165.51 and a 52-week high of $254.89. The company has a market cap of $26.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.25, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.47. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $232.29 and its 200-day moving average is $208.92.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.96 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.93 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.48% and a net margin of 14.73%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.00 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.48 EPS for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

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

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.