EFG Asset Management Americas Corp. Raises Stock Holdings in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

EFG Asset Management Americas Corp. grew its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 48.0% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 11,400 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after buying an additional 3,695 shares during the quarter. EFG Asset Management Americas Corp.’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $2,228,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of WSM. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 22.4% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,742 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,248,000 after purchasing an additional 1,236 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter worth about $227,000. Woodline Partners LP purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,644,000. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 31.7% during the 2nd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 25,139 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $4,107,000 after buying an additional 6,044 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 55.9% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 678 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $111,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

Shares of WSM stock opened at $180.24 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $21.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.64. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $204.98 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $195.17. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a one year low of $130.07 and a one year high of $222.00.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, January 16th were paid a $0.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 16th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio is 29.04%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on WSM shares. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $245.00 price objective (up from $210.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Zelman & Associates raised Williams-Sonoma from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $205.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Weiss Ratings raised Williams-Sonoma from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $220.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $203.78.

Insider Activity at Williams-Sonoma

In other Williams-Sonoma news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.16, for a total transaction of $157,357.72. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 13,236 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,715,497.76. The trade was a 5.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.39, for a total value of $7,258,650.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 806,537 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $167,267,708.43. This represents a 4.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.10% of the stock is 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.