19,331 Shares in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Purchased by Rakuten Investment Management Inc.

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm purchased 19,331 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $4,643,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp lifted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% during the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 1,381 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $247,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Arjuna Capital increased its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Arjuna Capital now owns 3,564 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $636,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the period. Florida Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. Florida Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,534 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $453,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the period. Finally, Valeo Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 4.7% during the 4th quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,357 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $242,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Williams-Sonoma News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Williams-Sonoma this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Williams-Sonoma exceeded expectations with adjusted earnings of $2.10 per share versus the $2.08 consensus and revenue of $1.96 billion versus estimates of $1.93 billion. Comparable sales increased 6.2%, reflecting broad-based growth across its brands, including Pottery Barn and West Elm. Williams-Sonoma Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its full-year revenue and earnings outlook, signaling confidence that market-share gains and improving comparable-sales trends can continue in the second half. Analysts highlighted that the company has moved beyond its most difficult year-over-year margin comparison, while comps are accelerating. Williams-Sonoma’s Most Difficult Margin Comparison Is Behind It
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts raised their price targets following the results. KeyBanc increased its target to $270, RBC reaffirmed an Outperform rating with a $260 target, and Morgan Stanley lifted its target to $240 while maintaining an Equal Weight rating. Jim Cramer also argued that the post-earnings selloff did not reflect the strength of the report. Analysts Increase Forecasts on Williams-Sonoma
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target from $248 to $252 but retained a Neutral rating, while Guggenheim also maintained Neutral. This reflects continued confidence in the business but limited conviction that the current valuation offers substantial upside. Analyst Insights on Williams-Sonoma
• Negative Sentiment: Gross margin declined because of tariffs, creating a key risk to earnings if higher costs cannot be offset through pricing, sourcing, or operating efficiencies. The company also remains exposed to a weak housing market and cautious discretionary spending. Williams-Sonoma Grew Comps 6.2% and Raised Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: The muted market reaction suggests investors may have been positioned for an even stronger report, or may be taking profits after a substantial rally. At roughly 24 times earnings and near its 52-week high, WSM’s valuation leaves less room for execution disappointments.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on WSM shares. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Credit Suisse Group set a $261.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, August 24th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $247.00 target price (up from $190.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Thursday. Telsey Advisory Group set a $260.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Guggenheim restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $244.44.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of WSM stock opened at $235.07 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $27.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.50. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1 year low of $165.51 and a 1 year high of $254.89. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $233.48 and a 200 day simple moving average of $208.42.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.96 billion for 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%.The company’s revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.00 EPS. Analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.45 EPS for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 21,717 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,962,117.33. The trade was a 4.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 3,156 shares of company stock valued at $738,699 over the last three months. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Williams-Sonoma 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.