48,358 Shares in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Acquired by Nykredit A S

Nykredit A S acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 48,358 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $11,272,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp raised 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 worth $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. MidFirst Bank bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Ballast Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the first quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC raised 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 valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 2.0%

WSM opened at $227.12 on Friday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1-year low of $165.51 and a 1-year high of $254.89. The company has a market capitalization of $26.75 billion, a PE ratio of 23.25, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 1.47. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $232.55 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $208.85.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.73% and a return on equity of 53.48%. The firm had revenue of $1.96 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.93 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.00 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 17th were given a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.12%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WSM has been the topic of several research reports. Credit Suisse Group set a $261.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, August 24th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $210.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $247.00 price target (up from $190.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $261.00 price objective (up from $250.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, August 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $260.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $245.56.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Williams-Sonoma news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total value of $254,080.88. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 21,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,962,117.33. This represents a 4.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 3,156 shares of company stock valued at $738,699. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

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.