Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super Invests $19.63 Million in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 107,674 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $19,632,000. Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super owned 0.09% of Williams-Sonoma as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,139,477 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,199,961,000 after purchasing an additional 147,780 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of 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 during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 7.3% during the fourth 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 valued at $342,797,000 after buying an additional 130,940 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $316,920,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 5.5% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,661,365 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $296,703,000 after buying an additional 86,807 shares during the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WSM opened at $228.61 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $209.92 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $201.05. The firm has a market cap of $26.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.60, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.49. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1 year low of $165.51 and a 1 year high of $244.65.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.80 billion. During the same period last year, the firm 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 predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Friday, July 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma's payout ratio is presently 34.04%.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In other Williams-Sonoma news, 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 value of $254,080.88. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 21,717 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,962,117.33. This represents a 4.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.61, for a total transaction of $3,452,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 938,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $161,998,627.64. This trade represents a 2.09% 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 36,634 shares of company stock worth $6,812,283. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WSM has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $192.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. TD Cowen cut their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $250.00 to $225.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. KeyCorp increased their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Williams-Sonoma from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price target for the company from $185.00 to $218.00 in a report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $208.00 to $200.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. 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.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $212.65.

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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