Arwa LLC Buys New Holdings in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Key Points

• Arwa LLC bought 4,682 Williams-Sonoma shares valued at approximately $1.12 million during the third quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 99.29% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $247.94; recent targets range as high as $286.
• Williams-Sonoma reported quarterly EPS of $2.10 and revenue of $1.96 billion, both ahead of expectations, while declaring a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, yielding about 1.2% annually.

Arwa LLC purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 4,682 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,124,000.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. MidFirst Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Ballast Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the first quarter worth approximately $30,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC lifted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% during 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 in the last quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter worth $35,000. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have issued reports on WSM. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, August 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $260.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Argus raised their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group set a $275.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $286.00 price target (up from $259.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $247.94.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Williams-Sonoma news, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.20, for a total value of $7,742,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 853,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at $188,799,508.80. This trade represents a 3.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 3,045 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.61, for a total value of $671,757.45. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 34,138 shares in the company, valued at $7,531,184.18. This represents a 8.19% 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. Insiders have sold 40,883 shares of company stock worth $9,117,518 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

NYSE WSM opened at $253.05 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $234.27 and a two-hundred day moving average of $218.73. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1-year low of $165.51 and a 1-year high of $256.86. The company has a market cap of $29.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.13, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.48.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.93 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.48% and a net margin of 14.73%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.00 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 16th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio is 31.12%.

Williams-Sonoma Profile

Williams-Sonoma, Inc is a specialty retailer focused on home furnishings, décor, kitchenware and related products. The company operates a portfolio of lifestyle brands, including Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Pottery Barn Kids, Rejuvenation and Mark & Graham.

Its products include cookware, tableware, appliances, furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, home accessories, gifts and personalized merchandise. Williams-Sonoma reaches customers through e-commerce websites, retail stores, catalogs and trade and contract sales, serving both individual consumers and professional customers such as interior designers and hospitality businesses.

Founded in 1956 by Chuck Williams, the company began as a retailer specializing in high-quality French cookware before expanding into a broader home-focused portfolio.

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