Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt Boosts Stock Position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Key Points

• Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt increased its Williams-Sonoma stake by 1,450% in the fourth quarter, adding 14,500 shares to bring its total to 15,500 shares worth about $2.77 million.
• Williams-Sonoma reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $1.93 per share versus estimates of $1.80, while revenue rose 4.4% year over year to $1.81 billion.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.76 per share from $0.66, while analysts currently hold a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $209.06.

Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt boosted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 1,450.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 15,500 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after buying an additional 14,500 shares during the quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt's holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $2,767,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp increased its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% in the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the third quarter valued at $37,000. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 66.7% in the third quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 220 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT increased its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 760.0% in the third quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 258 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 228 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sentry Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in 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 buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company's stock.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of WSM stock opened at $207.99 on Friday. The stock's 50-day moving average is $187.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $192.38. The firm has a market cap of $24.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.29, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.51. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1 year low of $152.20 and a 1 year high of $222.00.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 53.29% and a net margin of 13.81%.The company had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.85 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.33 EPS for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 32,684 shares of the firm'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 transaction, the chief financial officer owned 34,138 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,166,688.32. This trade represents a 48.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.04, for a total value of $3,660,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 786,537 shares in the company, valued at approximately $143,967,732.48. This represents a 2.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 106,370 shares of company stock valued at $19,720,823 over the last quarter. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on WSM shares. Evercore set a $200.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Weiss Ratings lowered Williams-Sonoma from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley set a $210.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $190.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised Williams-Sonoma from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $185.00 to $218.00 in a report on Monday, April 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $209.06.

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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