Bell & Brown Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 28,894 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $6,735,000. Williams-Sonoma comprises about 2.0% of Bell & Brown Wealth Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position.
Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Strategic Advisory Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter valued at approximately $272,000. Csenge Advisory Group bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the second quarter valued at $407,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the 2nd quarter valued at $151,000. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 2nd quarter worth $19,046,000. Finally, Empirical Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 2nd quarter worth $803,000. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company's stock.
Williams-Sonoma Price Performance
Shares of NYSE WSM opened at $242.34 on Thursday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1 year low of $165.51 and a 1 year high of $254.89. The stock has a market cap of $28.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 1.50. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $231.71 and a 200 day moving average of $207.33.
Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.80 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The business's revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.85 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 17th will be given a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma's payout ratio is currently 34.04%.
Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma
In other Williams-Sonoma news, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $3,000,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 923,524 shares in the company, valued at approximately $184,704,800. This trade represents a 1.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was 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. The trade was 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 quarter, insiders sold 18,156 shares of company stock worth $3,738,699. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, June 12th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $250.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $192.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Argus set a $230.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $231.88.
Get Our Latest Analysis on Williams-Sonoma
Williams-Sonoma Profile
(
Free Report)
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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