Diversify Advisory Services LLC Takes $1.66 Million Position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Key Points

• Diversify Advisory Services acquired 7,078 Williams-Sonoma shares in the second quarter, worth approximately $1.66 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 99.29% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $231.88; several firms recently raised their targets as high as $260.
• Williams-Sonoma exceeded quarterly expectations with $1.93 EPS and $1.81 billion in revenue, while announcing a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, equivalent to a 1.3% annual yield.

Diversify Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 7,078 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,659,000.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp raised its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% in the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. MidFirst Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Ballast Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the first quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC grew its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% in the first quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 168 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on WSM shares. Seaport Research Partners restated a "buy" rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Bank of America started coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, June 12th. They set a "buy" rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $192.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. KeyCorp increased their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Argus set a $230.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, May 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $231.88.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 923,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at $184,704,800. The trade was a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $254,080.88. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 21,717 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,962,117.33. The trade was a 4.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 18,156 shares of company stock valued at $3,738,699 in the last quarter. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

Shares of WSM stock opened at $242.34 on Thursday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 12-month low of $165.51 and a 12-month high of $254.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $28.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 1.50. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $231.71 and a 200 day simple moving average of $207.33.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.29% and a net margin of 13.81%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.85 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

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

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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