Moran Wealth Management LLC Has $31.46 Million Stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Key Points

• Moran Wealth Management trimmed its Williams-Sonoma stake by 12.8% in the first quarter, but still held 172,560 shares valued at about $31.46 million.
• Williams-Sonoma reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $1.93 beating estimates and revenue of $1.81 billion slightly ahead of expectations; revenue also rose 4.4% year over year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, while analysts currently have a consensus Moderate Buy rating with an average price target of $211.47.

Moran Wealth Management LLC lowered its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 12.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 172,560 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 25,393 shares during the period. Williams-Sonoma accounts for approximately 1.0% of Moran Wealth Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Moran Wealth Management LLC owned approximately 0.14% of Williams-Sonoma worth $31,463,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp increased its position in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% during 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. MidFirst Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA boosted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 81.8% in the fourth quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA now owns 200 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the period. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE:WSM opened at $227.20 on Friday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a twelve month low of $161.76 and a twelve month high of $244.65. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $203.52 and its 200 day simple moving average is $198.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.75 billion, a PE ratio of 25.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.49.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.80 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.29% and a net margin of 13.81%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.85 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors 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 yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio is currently 22.17%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 1,419 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.45, for a total value of $267,410.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 34,138 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,433,306.10. This represents a 3.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.61, for a total transaction of $3,452,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 938,524 shares in the company, valued at $161,998,627.64. This represents a 2.09% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 55,320 shares of company stock worth $10,516,069 in the last three months. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on WSM shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Williams-Sonoma from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $235.00 to $225.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Barclays set a $190.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $208.00 to $200.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $211.47.

Williams-Sonoma 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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