Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC Acquires 8,427 Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Key Points

• Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its Williams-Sonoma stake by 14.5% in the first quarter, buying 8,427 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 66,559 shares worth about $12.1 million.
• Williams-Sonoma’s stock rose 0.9% to $221.80, while the company also reported strong quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates and posting 4.4% year-over-year revenue growth.
• Insider selling and analyst sentiment remain mixed: CEO Laura Alber and EVP Karalyn Yearout sold shares under pre-arranged trading plans, while analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” with a consensus price target of $212.65.

Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 14.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 66,559 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after buying an additional 8,427 shares during the quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC owned 0.06% of Williams-Sonoma worth $12,136,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp lifted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% during the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. MidFirst Bank bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% during the first quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 168 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.61, for a total value of $3,452,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 938,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $161,998,627.64. This trade represents a 2.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of Williams-Sonoma 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 21,717 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,962,117.33. This trade represents a 4.87% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 51,634 shares of company stock worth $9,812,283. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on WSM. KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Evercore set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Bank of America started coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, June 12th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $250.00 target price for the company. TD Cowen decreased their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $250.00 to $225.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, Barclays set a $190.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $212.65.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Up 0.9%

WSM stock traded up $2.03 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $221.80. 1,001,268 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,206,597. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $206.78 and its 200-day moving average price is $200.04. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52 week low of $161.76 and a 52 week high of $244.65. The company has a market cap of $26.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.49.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.85 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Friday, July 17th will be issued a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio is currently 22.17%.

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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