Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 289,135 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $67,397,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned 0.25% of Williams-Sonoma as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Aristotle Capital Management LLC grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 22.0% in the 1st quarter. Aristotle Capital Management LLC now owns 11,140,471 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $2,031,242,000 after buying an additional 2,009,032 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter worth about $316,920,000. Boston Partners acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $254,778,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $188,603,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 102.8% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,108,589 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $202,129,000 after acquiring an additional 561,977 shares in the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of research analysts recently commented on WSM shares. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $192.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Evercore set a $240.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Morgan Stanley set a $210.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Seaport Research Partners restated a "buy" rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, August 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $231.88.
Read Our Latest Research Report on WSM
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.39, for a total transaction of $128,615.58. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,195 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,975,846.05. This trade represents a 2.52% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $3,000,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 923,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $184,704,800. This represents a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 18,156 shares of company stock valued at $3,738,699 in the last quarter. Insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.
Williams-Sonoma Price Performance
NYSE WSM opened at $242.34 on Thursday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 12 month low of $165.51 and a 12 month high of $254.89. The company has a market capitalization of $28.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.14, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 1.50. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $231.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $207.33.
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 for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.80 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.85 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current year.
Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 17th will be given a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio is 34.04%.
About Williams-Sonoma
(
Free Report)
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.
See Also
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WSM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report).
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