HS Management Partners LLC Invests $10.80 Million in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Key Points

• HS Management Partners acquired 46,353 Williams-Sonoma shares worth approximately $10.8 million, making the retailer 3.7% of its portfolio. Institutional investors collectively own 99.29% of WSM.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with one Strong Buy, eight Buy and nine Hold ratings; the average price target is $231.88, while several firms recently raised their targets to as high as $261.
• Williams-Sonoma beat quarterly earnings expectations with $1.93 EPS and $1.81 billion in revenue, up 4.4% year over year. The company declared a $0.76 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 1.3% yield.

HS Management Partners LLC acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 46,353 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $10,805,000. Williams-Sonoma accounts for approximately 3.7% of HS Management Partners LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of WSM. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 1,844.3% in the 1st quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 47,733 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $8,703,000 after purchasing an additional 45,278 shares during the period. Little House Capital LLC bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the first quarter valued at approximately $801,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 5,019.6% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 89,388 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $15,964,000 after buying an additional 87,642 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,173,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in Williams-Sonoma by 23.8% in the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 294,598 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $52,612,000 after acquiring an additional 56,578 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on WSM shares. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, June 12th. They set a "buy" rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $261.00 target price (up from $230.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target 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 issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $231.88.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.39, for a total value of $128,615.58. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,195 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,975,846.05. The trade was a 2.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through 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 stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were 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 approximately $184,704,800. The trade was a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 quarter, insiders sold 18,156 shares of company stock worth $3,738,699. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

Shares of WSM opened at $241.03 on Wednesday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1 year low of $165.51 and a 1 year high of $254.89. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $231.02 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $207.07. The firm has a market cap of $28.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.99, 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 quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.85 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 17th will be issued 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 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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