Asset Management One Co. Ltd. Sells 13,141 Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Key Points

• Asset Management One cut its Williams-Sonoma stake by 20% in the third quarter, selling 13,141 shares and retaining 52,651 shares valued at approximately $12 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 99.29% of the company.
• Williams-Sonoma insiders sold 40,883 shares worth about $9.1 million during the last quarter, including sales by a director and an executive vice president under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of $2.10 and revenue of $1.96 billion, exceeding analyst expectations, while declaring a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $247.89.

Asset Management One Co. Ltd. reduced its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 20.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 52,651 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 13,141 shares during the quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd.'s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $12,001,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Latitude Advisors LLC bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. IMG Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter worth about $31,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter worth about $35,000. Ballast Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC increased its stake 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 valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 117 shares during the period. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, Director Anne A. Finucane sold 794 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.14, for a total value of $200,199.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 9,404 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,371,124.56. This trade represents a 7.79% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a 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 1,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $250,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,717 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,179,250. This represents a 4.60% 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. Insiders sold a total of 40,883 shares of company stock valued at $9,117,518 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

Shares of WSM opened at $252.64 on Friday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1 year low of $165.51 and a 1 year high of $263.65. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $236.40 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $214.75. The firm has a market cap of $29.76 billion, a PE ratio of 28.78, a PEG ratio of 2.82 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 analysts' consensus estimates 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 firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.00 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.50 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 20th. Investors of record on Friday, October 16th 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 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 16th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio is presently 31.12%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on WSM. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $210.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating and set a $270.00 price target (up from $250.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $275.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. Credit Suisse Group set a $261.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $247.89.

About Williams-Sonoma

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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