AlpenGlobal Capital LLC Acquires New Position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

AlpenGlobal Capital LLC bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 41,532 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $9,681,000. Williams-Sonoma makes up about 6.2% of AlpenGlobal Capital LLC's holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest position.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of WSM. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp boosted 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 valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. MidFirst Bank bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Ballast Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the first quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 117 shares during the period. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 2.9%

Shares of WSM stock opened at $235.37 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.36, a PEG ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.50. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $232.05 and a 200 day moving average of $207.54. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52 week low of $165.51 and a 52 week high of $254.89.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last issued 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 business had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.80 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.85 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio is 34.04%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $3,000,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 923,524 shares in the company, valued at approximately $184,704,800. This represents a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.39, for a total transaction of $128,615.58. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 20,195 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,975,846.05. The trade was a 2.52% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 18,156 shares of company stock worth $3,738,699 over the last three months. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on WSM shares. Piper Sandler started coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Monday, July 27th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $253.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Williams-Sonoma from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Bank of America began coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, June 12th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $261.00 price objective (up from $230.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Evercore set a $240.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $231.88.

About Williams-Sonoma

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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