Handelsbanken Fonder AB Purchases 10,965 Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 8.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 146,185 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after buying an additional 10,965 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB owned 0.12% of Williams-Sonoma worth $34,076,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd increased its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 1,844.3% during the 1st quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 47,733 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $8,703,000 after purchasing an additional 45,278 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 5,019.6% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 89,388 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $15,964,000 after buying an additional 87,642 shares during the period. Little House Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 1st quarter worth approximately $801,000. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,173,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 23.8% in the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 294,598 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $52,612,000 after buying an additional 56,578 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WSM opened at $250.67 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.07, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.50. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $227.53 and a 200-day moving average price of $205.82. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52-week low of $165.51 and a 52-week high of $254.89.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.29% and a net margin of 13.81%.The firm’s revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.85 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is 34.04%.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.39, for a total transaction of $128,615.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,195 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,975,846.05. This trade represents a 2.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 38,156 shares of company stock worth $7,190,899 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $261.00 target price (up from $230.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $192.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Morgan Stanley set a $210.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Argus set a $230.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $223.29.

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.