Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Shares Acquired by Ethic Inc.

Ethic Inc. increased its holdings in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 55.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 21,364 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,584 shares during the period. Ethic Inc.’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $4,870,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of WSM. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 54.2% in the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 5,401 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,231,000 after purchasing an additional 1,899 shares during the last quarter. Heritage Family Offices LLP bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the third quarter valued at approximately $93,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 0.6% in the third quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 14,952 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $3,408,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the period. QTR Family Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the third quarter worth $224,000. Finally, TFB Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 13.2% during the 3rd quarter. TFB Advisors LLC now owns 1,270 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $289,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the period. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 2.9%

Shares of NYSE:WSM opened at $261.46 on Tuesday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1-year low of $165.51 and a 1-year high of $274.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.79 billion, a PE ratio of 26.76, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.49. The business’s 50 day moving average is $239.10 and its 200-day moving average is $216.25.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.93 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.48% and a net margin of 14.73%. Williams-Sonoma’s revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.00 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.50 EPS for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 16th. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is presently 31.12%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WSM has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $261.00 target price (up from $250.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, August 24th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, October 12th. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $286.00 price objective (up from $259.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Tuesday, October 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $259.00 target price (down from $260.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, August 10th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $249.17.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Anne A. Finucane sold 794 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $252.14, for a total value of $200,199.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 9,404 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,371,124.56. This represents a 7.79% 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. Also, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 3,045 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.61, for a total value of $671,757.45. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 34,138 shares in the company, valued at $7,531,184.18. This trade represents a 8.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 39,361 shares of company stock valued at $8,738,903. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Company Profile

Williams-Sonoma, Inc is a specialty retailer focused on home furnishings, kitchenware and related products. Its portfolio includes Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and Teen, West Elm, Rejuvenation, and Mark and Graham, with offerings ranging from cookware and furniture to lighting, textiles, décor and gifts.

Founded in 1956 by Chuck Williams as a cookware shop in Sonoma, California, the company has grown into a multichannel retailer. It sells through its websites and retail stores, serving customers in North America and select international markets.

Laura Alber is the company’s chief executive officer.