E Fund Management Co. Ltd. Takes Position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Key Points

• E Fund Management bought 5,560 Williams-Sonoma shares worth approximately $1.3 million during the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 99.29% of the company.
• Williams-Sonoma exceeded quarterly expectations with $1.93 in EPS versus the $1.80 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 4.4% year over year to $1.81 billion. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, yielding about 1.3% annually.
• Analyst sentiment remains moderately bullish, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $231.88; however, insiders sold roughly $3.74 million of stock over the past 90 days.

E Fund Management Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 5,560 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,296,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% during the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. MidFirst Bank acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Ballast Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% in the 1st quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 168 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.39, for a total transaction of $128,615.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,195 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,975,846.05. This trade represents a 2.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value 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 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 sold 18,156 shares of company stock worth $3,738,699 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $242.34 on Thursday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52-week low of $165.51 and a 52-week high of $254.89. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $231.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $207.33. The firm has a market cap 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.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.85 earnings per share. Williams-Sonoma's quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma's payout ratio is currently 34.04%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WSM has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Telsey Advisory Group upped their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Williams-Sonoma from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Argus set a $230.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, May 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $231.88.

Williams-Sonoma Company Profile

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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