Maven Securities LTD Makes New $6 Million Investment in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Key Points

• Maven Securities purchased a new Williams-Sonoma stake of 25,754 shares valued at approximately $6 million during the second quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 99.29% of the company.
• Williams-Sonoma exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.10 in EPS and $1.96 billion in revenue, up 6.7% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, yielding approximately 1.3%.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $245.56, compared with the stock’s reported price of $227.90.

Maven Securities LTD purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 25,754 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $6,003,000.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. IMG Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter worth about $31,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp increased its holdings 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 buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Ballast Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Williams-Sonoma news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total value of $254,080.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 21,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,962,117.33. This represents a 4.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 2,634 shares of company stock valued at $632,696 over the last three months. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 0.2%

Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $227.90 on Wednesday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 12 month low of $165.51 and a 12 month high of $254.89. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $232.18 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $209.02. The firm has a market cap of $26.84 billion, a PE ratio of 23.33, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.47.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.02. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.73% and a return on equity of 53.48%. The firm had revenue of $1.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.93 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.00 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.48 EPS for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Friday, July 17th were given a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.12%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on WSM. Argus lifted their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Williams-Sonoma from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Bank of America reissued a "buy" rating and set a $261.00 target price (up from $250.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, August 24th. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $247.00 target price (up from $190.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $245.56.

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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