Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Sells 107,313 Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Key Points

• Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund cut its Williams-Sonoma stake by 93.5% in the first quarter, selling 107,313 shares and retaining 7,501 shares valued at approximately $1.37 million.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $215.47; individual targets range as high as $250.
• Williams-Sonoma recently reported quarterly earnings of $1.93 per share, beating expectations, while revenue rose 4.4% year over year to $1.81 billion. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, representing a 1.3% yield.

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund decreased its position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 93.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,501 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 107,313 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund's holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $1,368,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp lifted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% in the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. MidFirst Bank acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC increased its holdings in 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 buying an additional 117 shares during the period. Finally, DV Equities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In other news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $254,080.88. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 21,717 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,962,117.33. This trade represents a 4.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 938,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at $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 90 days, insiders sold 36,634 shares of company stock worth $6,812,283. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on WSM. Argus set a $230.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, May 29th. KeyCorp upped their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $225.00 price target (up from $220.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $192.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Bank of America began coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, June 12th. They set a "buy" rating and a $250.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $215.47.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $228.89 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.49. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $221.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $203.96. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52-week low of $165.51 and a 52-week high of $244.65.

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

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.04%.

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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