The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Cuts Stock Holdings in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lowered its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 7.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 67,260 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 5,529 shares during the quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned 0.06% of Williams-Sonoma worth $12,264,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% during the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. MidFirst Bank purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% in 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 during the period. Finally, DV Equities LLC bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of WSM opened at $228.89 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $26.95 billion, a PE ratio of 25.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.50. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $221.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $203.94. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 12-month low of $165.51 and a 12-month high of $244.65.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.29% and a net margin of 13.81%.Williams-Sonoma's 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. As a group, analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 17th will be paid a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma's payout ratio is currently 34.04%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WSM has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $210.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Piper Sandler began coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, July 27th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $253.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company set a $190.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Argus set a $230.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, June 12th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $215.47.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $254,080.88. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 21,717 shares in the company, valued at $4,962,117.33. This represents a 4.87% decrease in their position. The sale 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 stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were 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 trade represents a 1.60% 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 three months, insiders sold 36,634 shares of company stock valued at $6,812,283. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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