Andra AP fonden Makes New $42.61 Million Investment in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Key Points

• Andra AP fonden opened a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter, buying 238,600 shares valued at about $42.61 million. The stake represented roughly 0.20% of the company.
• Williams-Sonoma continues to draw heavy institutional interest, with hedge funds and other investors owning 99.29% of the stock. At the same time, company insiders have been selling shares, including CEO Laura Alber and CFO Jeffrey Howie.
• The retailer recently posted solid results, beating earnings expectations with $1.93 EPS versus estimates of $1.80 and revenue of $1.81 billion. Analysts remain generally positive, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $209.06.

Andra AP fonden acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 238,600 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $42,612,000. Andra AP fonden owned 0.20% of Williams-Sonoma as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% in the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 66.7% in the 3rd quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 220 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the period. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 760.0% in the 3rd quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 258 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 228 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 1,061.5% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 302 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 276 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on WSM shares. UBS Group increased their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Barclays set a $190.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Argus set a $230.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $192.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Williams-Sonoma from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their target price for the company from $185.00 to $218.00 in a research note on Monday, April 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $209.06.

Insider Activity at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.04, for a total transaction of $3,660,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 786,537 shares of the company's stock, valued at $143,967,732.48. This trade represents a 2.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 32,684 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.64, for a total value of $5,904,037.76. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 34,138 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,166,688.32. This trade represents a 48.91% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 106,892 shares of company stock valued at $19,826,826 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Up 5.6%

WSM stock opened at $218.62 on Friday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a twelve month low of $152.20 and a twelve month high of $222.00. The firm has a market cap of $25.74 billion, a PE ratio of 24.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.51. The business has a 50 day moving average of $190.93 and a 200 day moving average of $193.50.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.85 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The business 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.56%.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WSM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.