AlpenGlobal Capital LLC Purchases Shares of 41,610 Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Key Points

• AlpenGlobal Capital LLC opened a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the first quarter, buying 41,610 shares valued at about $7.6 million. The stock now accounts for roughly 4.9% of the fund’s holdings.
• Williams-Sonoma’s most recent quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of $1.93 versus estimates of $1.80 and revenue of $1.81 billion, up 4.4% year over year. Analysts currently view the stock as a Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $212.65.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share to be paid August 21, while insiders have also been selling shares recently, including CEO Laura Alber and EVP Karalyn Yearout. Institutional investors remain heavily involved, owning about 99.29% of the stock.

AlpenGlobal Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 41,610 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $7,587,000. Williams-Sonoma makes up about 4.9% of AlpenGlobal Capital LLC's holdings, making the stock its 6th biggest position.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 2.5% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,139,477 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,199,961,000 after acquiring an additional 147,780 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 7.5% in the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,440,452 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $435,840,000 after purchasing an additional 170,991 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,919,466 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $342,797,000 after purchasing an additional 130,940 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter worth approximately $316,920,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,661,365 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $296,703,000 after purchasing an additional 86,807 shares in the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on WSM. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $235.00 to $225.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Williams-Sonoma from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $225.00 price target (up from $220.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $190.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Barclays set a $190.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. One 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 company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $212.65.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 0.9%

WSM stock opened at $221.80 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.12 billion, a PE ratio of 24.84, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.49. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1-year low of $161.76 and a 1-year high of $244.65. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $206.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is $200.04.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.29% and a net margin of 13.81%.The business had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.85 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.04%.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $3,000,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 923,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $184,704,800. The trade was a 1.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $254,080.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 21,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,962,117.33. This trade represents a 4.87% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 51,634 shares of company stock valued at $9,812,283. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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