Sei Investments Co. Raises Stock Holdings in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 21.7% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 83,409 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,884 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co.’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $15,208,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,139,477 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,199,961,000 after purchasing an additional 147,780 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 9.2% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,664,580 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $485,833,000 after purchasing an additional 224,128 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 7.3% in the fourth 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 valued at $342,797,000 after purchasing an additional 130,940 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter valued at $316,920,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,661,365 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $296,703,000 after buying an additional 86,807 shares during the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Down 0.1%

NYSE WSM opened at $233.57 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.16, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.49. The business’s 50 day moving average is $220.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $203.78. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 12-month low of $165.51 and a 12-month high of $244.65.

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

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Williams-Sonoma news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the firm’s 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 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. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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 on 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 owned 923,524 shares in the company, valued at $184,704,800. The trade was a 1.60% 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 three months, insiders sold 36,634 shares of company stock valued at $6,812,283. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WSM has been the subject of several recent research reports. Barclays set a $190.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $192.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Williams-Sonoma from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $185.00 to $218.00 in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Morgan Stanley set a $210.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $225.00 target price (up from $220.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, May 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $215.47.

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.