Nordea Investment Management AB Buys 66,855 Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Nordea Investment Management AB increased its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 8.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 883,031 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 66,855 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $170,787,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. True Wealth Design LLC increased its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 111.8% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 144 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Maseco LLP acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 130.8% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 180 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the period. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 1,236.8% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 254 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 235 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Richardson Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter worth about $48,000. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 12,161 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $181.07, for a total transaction of $2,201,992.27. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 846,927 shares in the company, valued at approximately $153,353,071.89. This trade represents a 1.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 0.9%

NYSE WSM opened at $208.02 on Wednesday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 12 month low of $130.07 and a 12 month high of $219.98. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $186.50 and a 200-day moving average of $189.28. The company has a market cap of $24.83 billion, a PE ratio of 22.88, a PEG ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 1.58.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The specialty retailer reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.86 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.30% and a return on equity of 53.10%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.96 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, January 16th will be paid a $0.66 dividend. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 16th. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.04%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Telsey Advisory Group cut their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $202.00 to $188.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $210.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $198.71.

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.