Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Shares Acquired by BNP Paribas Financial Markets

Key Points

• BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its Williams-Sonoma stake by 23.8% in the fourth quarter, buying 56,578 more shares and bringing its holdings to 294,598 shares valued at about $52.6 million.
• Williams-Sonoma reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.93 versus estimates of $1.80 and revenue of $1.81 billion, up 4.4% year over year.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.76 per share from $0.66, while analysts remain generally positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $209.06.

BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 23.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 294,598 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 56,578 shares during the quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets owned about 0.25% of Williams-Sonoma worth $52,612,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WSM. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 22.4% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,742 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,248,000 after acquiring an additional 1,236 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter valued at $227,000. Woodline Partners LP purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the first quarter valued at $1,644,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC increased its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 9.0% in the second quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 4,153 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $678,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. increased its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 5.9% in the second quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 4,631 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $757,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WSM opened at $204.13 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $186.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $191.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.86, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 1.51. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1 year low of $152.20 and a 1 year high of $222.00.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.85 earnings per share. Williams-Sonoma's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, April 17th were issued a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. This is an increase from Williams-Sonoma's previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. Williams-Sonoma's payout ratio is currently 29.56%.

Insider Activity at Williams-Sonoma

In other Williams-Sonoma news, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 923,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at $184,704,800. This trade represents a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 1,419 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief financial officer owned 34,138 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,433,306.10. This trade represents a 3.99% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 106,370 shares of company stock worth $19,720,823. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on WSM. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $225.00 price target (up from $220.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Argus set a $230.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $192.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. TD Cowen dropped their price target on shares of 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, Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $235.00 to $225.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $209.06.

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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