Diversify Wealth Management LLC Raises Stock Position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Diversify Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 294.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,422 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,302 shares during the quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $801,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WSM. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 2.5% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,139,477 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,199,961,000 after acquiring an additional 147,780 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP grew its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 7.5% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,440,452 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $435,840,000 after acquiring an additional 170,991 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,919,466 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $342,797,000 after acquiring an additional 130,940 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $316,920,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,661,365 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $296,703,000 after purchasing an additional 86,807 shares in the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 2.6%

NYSE:WSM opened at $228.61 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $209.92 and its 200-day simple moving average is $201.05. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 12-month low of $165.51 and a 12-month high of $244.65. The firm has a market cap of $26.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.60, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.49.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The business had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.85 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 17th will be given a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is presently 34.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on WSM. Bank of America began coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, June 12th. They set a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price target for the company. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $250.00 to $225.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Evercore set a $200.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Barclays set a $190.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Williams-Sonoma from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Williams-Sonoma has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $212.65.

Insider Buying and Selling at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $3,000,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 923,524 shares in the company, valued at $184,704,800. The trade was a 1.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $254,080.88. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 21,717 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,962,117.33. This trade represents a 4.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 36,634 shares of company stock worth $6,812,283 in the last three months. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.