Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec Invests $143.06 Million in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 613,734 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $143,061,000. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec owned 0.52% of Williams-Sonoma at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in WSM. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp increased its position in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% in 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 during the period. MidFirst Bank bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Ballast Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the first quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% during the first quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 168 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WSM has been the topic of several analyst reports. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Weiss Ratings lowered Williams-Sonoma from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $275.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $261.00 price target (up from $230.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $210.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. One 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $236.26.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the company’s 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 sale, the executive vice president 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 3,156 shares of company stock valued at $738,699. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

NYSE:WSM opened at $237.88 on Thursday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52 week low of $165.51 and a 52 week high of $254.89. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $233.11 and its 200-day moving average is $208.18. The firm has a market cap of $28.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.50.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.96 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.93 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. Williams-Sonoma’s quarterly revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.00 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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 of this dividend was Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.04%.

Williams-Sonoma News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Williams-Sonoma exceeded expectations with adjusted EPS of $2.10 versus the approximately $2.05 consensus, while revenue rose 6.7% year over year to $1.96 billion. Comparable brand revenue increased 6.2%, with every brand reportedly posting positive comparable sales. Williams-Sonoma beats Q2 estimates, raises fiscal 2026 outlook
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised fiscal 2026 guidance, calling for revenue of $8.2 billion to $8.4 billion, comparable-brand revenue growth of 4.0% to 6.5%, and a non-GAAP operating margin of 17.8% to 18.2%. The higher outlook was described as operational rather than dependent on a tariff refund, which supports investor confidence in the underlying business. Williams-Sonoma Says Outlook Hike Is Operational
• Positive Sentiment: Strong cash generation and balance-sheet liquidity add support to the investment case: operating cash flow reached $695.9 million through the first half, while cash and equivalents totaled $1.03 billion. Analysts have maintained generally favorable views, with the stock receiving an average “Moderate Buy” rating and some price-target increases.
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays retained a Hold rating, reflecting caution about the housing market and the sustainability of consumer demand for discretionary home goods despite the earnings beat and raised guidance. Barclays Sticks to Their Hold Rating for Williams-Sonoma
• Negative Sentiment: Tariffs pressured adjusted margins, creating a key offset to the sales and earnings strength. Investors may remain concerned that higher import costs could limit future margin expansion, which helps explain why the stock’s reaction has been more measured than the headline beat might suggest. Williams-Sonoma Grew Comps 6.2% and Raised Full-Year Guidance

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.