6,565 Shares in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Bought by Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd

Key Points

• Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd opened a new position in Williams-Sonoma, buying 6,565 shares worth about $1.17 million in the fourth quarter.
• Institutional ownership remains extremely high, with hedge funds and other investors holding 99.29% of the company’s stock. Several firms also recently increased their stakes, including Northwestern Mutual and First Trust Advisors.
• Williams-Sonoma reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $1.93 beating estimates and revenue of $1.81 billion slightly topping forecasts. The company also raised attention with a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share and a recent share price near its 12-month high.

Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 6,565 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,173,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 5,019.6% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 89,388 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $15,964,000 after acquiring an additional 87,642 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 10.2% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 972,810 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $174,473,000 after acquiring an additional 89,779 shares in the last quarter. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter worth $4,605,000. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 30.7% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,269,461 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $443,566,000 after purchasing an additional 532,995 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 23.8% during the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 294,598 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $52,612,000 after purchasing an additional 56,578 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Williams-Sonoma

In other Williams-Sonoma news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 2,267 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $192.49, for a total value of $436,374.83. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 23,351 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,494,833.99. This represents a 8.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 32,684 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.64, for a total transaction of $5,904,037.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 34,138 shares in the company, valued at $6,166,688.32. The trade was a 48.91% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 106,892 shares of company stock valued at $19,826,826 over the last 90 days. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 2.0%

Shares of WSM opened at $223.19 on Friday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 12-month low of $152.20 and a 12-month high of $224.33. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $191.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $193.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.51.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.85 earnings per share. Williams-Sonoma's quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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 of this dividend is Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.56%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on WSM shares. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Williams-Sonoma from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Bank of America started coverage on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday. They set a "buy" rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. Evercore set a $200.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Morgan Stanley set a $210.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $225.00 target price (up from $220.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $211.47.

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.

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