Intech Investment Management LLC Has $17.02 Million Position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Key Points

• Intech Investment Management sharply increased its Williams-Sonoma stake by 889% in the fourth quarter, ending with 95,294 shares valued at about $17.0 million.
• Williams-Sonoma posted better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.93 versus $1.80 expected and revenue of $1.81 billion, up 4.4% year over year.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.76 per share from $0.66, while analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average target price of $207.94.

Intech Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 889.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 95,294 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 85,659 shares during the quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC owned 0.08% of Williams-Sonoma worth $17,019,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% in the 4th 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. Diversify Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,878 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $514,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 25.1% in the third quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC now owns 274 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. raised its position in Williams-Sonoma by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 10,438 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,864,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mutual Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 1,381 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $247,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.04, for a total value of $3,660,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 786,537 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $143,967,732.48. This trade represents a 2.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 32,684 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.64, for a total transaction of $5,904,037.76. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 34,138 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,166,688.32. The trade was a 48.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 91,370 shares of company stock valued at $16,720,823 over the last ninety days. 1.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of WSM stock opened at $205.88 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $185.58 and a 200-day moving average of $191.82. The company has a market cap of $24.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.49. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52 week low of $152.20 and a 52 week high of $222.00.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.85 earnings per share. Williams-Sonoma's revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 17th were paid a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. This is a boost from Williams-Sonoma's previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 17th. Williams-Sonoma's payout ratio is 29.56%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on WSM shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $225.00 target price (up from $220.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $250.00 to $225.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Barclays set a $190.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Zelman & Associates upgraded Williams-Sonoma from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $205.00 target price for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $207.94.

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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