22,000 Shares in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) Purchased by Bayesian Capital Management LP

Bayesian Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 22,000 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $4,074,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Heck Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. Kozak & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter valued at $46,000. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter worth $49,000. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Up 2.1 %

NYSE:WSM traded up $3.29 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $157.70. 1,434,535 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,054,911. The company has a market cap of $19.39 billion, a PE ratio of 18.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.57. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 12-month low of $125.33 and a 12-month high of $219.98. The business's 50-day moving average price is $159.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $173.61.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 19th. The specialty retailer reported $3.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.88 by $0.40. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.54% and a return on equity of 51.56%. The company had revenue of $2.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.34 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $5.44 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, May 24th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 17th will be given a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 17th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.67%. This is a positive change from Williams-Sonoma's previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.30%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WSM has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Gordon Haskett raised Williams-Sonoma to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Baird R W upgraded Williams-Sonoma from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 7th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $195.00 to $185.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $195.00 to $170.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $153.00 to $168.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $175.94.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 8,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.53, for a total value of $1,212,240.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 16,505 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,501,002.65. This trade represents a 32.65 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 915 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.69, for a total value of $129,646.35. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 46,388 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,572,715.72. This represents a 1.93 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 80,635 shares of company stock worth $13,236,175. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Profile

Williams-Sonoma, Inc operates as an omni-channel specialty retailer of various products for home. It offers cooking, dining, and entertaining products, such as cookware, tools, electrics, cutlery, tabletop and bar, outdoor, furniture, and a library of cookbooks under the Williams Sonoma Home brand, as well as home furnishings and decorative accessories under the Williams Sonoma lifestyle brand; and furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, table essentials, and decorative accessories under the Pottery Barn brand.