79,613 Shares in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Acquired by SEB Asset Management AB

Key Points

• SEB Asset Management AB disclosed a new first-quarter stake in Williams-Sonoma, buying 79,613 shares worth about $14.5 million. The position represented 0.07% of the company at quarter-end.
• Williams-Sonoma reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $1.93 topping estimates and revenue of $1.81 billion slightly ahead of expectations. Revenue rose 4.4% year over year, and analysts now expect full-year EPS of 9.39.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, payable August 21, implying an annualized yield of about 1.4%. Meanwhile, CEO Laura Alber and EVP Karalyn Yearout recently sold shares, and analysts currently rate the stock Moderate Buy with a consensus target of $212.65.

SEB Asset Management AB bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 79,613 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $14,516,000. SEB Asset Management AB owned 0.07% of Williams-Sonoma at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp raised its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% during the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. MidFirst Bank bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% in the first quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 168 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the period. Finally, DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $3,000,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 923,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $184,704,800. This represents a 1.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the firm'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 sale, 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders sold 36,634 shares of company stock valued at $6,812,283. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

NYSE WSM opened at $223.96 on Tuesday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a twelve month low of $165.51 and a twelve month high of $244.65. The stock has a market cap of $26.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.08, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 1.49. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $211.81 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $201.64.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.80 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The company's revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.85 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Friday, July 17th will be given a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma's payout ratio is presently 34.04%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on WSM. Wells Fargo & Company set a $190.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Barclays set a $190.00 price target 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 objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. KeyCorp raised their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Argus set a $230.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, May 29th. One investment 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Williams-Sonoma currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $212.65.

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.

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