Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM is Blackhill Capital Inc.'s Largest Position

Key Points

• Blackhill Capital slightly trimmed its Williams-Sonoma stake in the fourth quarter but still holds it as its largest position, with WSM making up about 70.7% of the firm’s portfolio and representing roughly 6.44% of the company.
• Williams-Sonoma posted better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.93 versus $1.80 expected and revenue of $1.81 billion, up 4.4% year over year. Analysts remain broadly positive, with an average price target of $211.47 and a “Moderate Buy” consensus.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, payable August 21, and insiders have recently sold shares, including CFO Jeffrey Howie and CEO Laura Alber. The stock was trading near its 52-week high at $223.19.

Blackhill Capital Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 0.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,689,036 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 12,535 shares during the period. Williams-Sonoma accounts for about 70.7% of Blackhill Capital Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its biggest holding. Blackhill Capital Inc. owned approximately 6.44% of Williams-Sonoma worth $1,373,185,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WSM. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp boosted 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 purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 3rd quarter worth $37,000. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 66.7% during the 3rd quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 220 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the period. Finally, Zions Bancorporation National Association UT boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 760.0% during the 3rd quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 258 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares during the period. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $225.00 price objective (up from $220.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $192.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Argus set a $230.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, May 29th. 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 report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $211.47.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 32,684 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.64, for a total transaction of $5,904,037.76. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 34,138 shares in the company, valued at $6,166,688.32. This represents a 48.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.04, for a total transaction of $3,660,800.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 786,537 shares in the company, valued at approximately $143,967,732.48. This trade represents a 2.48% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 106,892 shares of company stock valued at $19,826,826. Insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

NYSE:WSM opened at $223.19 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $191.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $193.71. The stock has a market cap of $26.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.99, a PEG ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 1.51. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1-year low of $152.20 and a 1-year high of $224.33.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The business had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.85 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.56%.

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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