Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Shares Sold by Hsbc Holdings PLC

Key Points

• Hsbc Holdings PLC cut its Williams-Sonoma stake by 5.8% in the fourth quarter, selling 16,369 shares and leaving it with 267,218 shares valued at about $47.8 million.
• Several other institutional investors adjusted positions in the retailer, and 99.29% of the stock is held by hedge funds and other institutions, indicating heavy institutional ownership.
• Williams-Sonoma reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $1.93 beating estimates and revenue of $1.81 billion slightly above expectations; analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus target of $211.47.

Hsbc Holdings PLC trimmed its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 5.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 267,218 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 16,369 shares during the quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned approximately 0.22% of Williams-Sonoma worth $47,794,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 5,019.6% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 89,388 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $15,964,000 after purchasing an additional 87,642 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 10.2% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 972,810 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $174,473,000 after buying an additional 89,779 shares during the period. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $4,605,000. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 30.7% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,269,461 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $443,566,000 after buying an additional 532,995 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 23.8% during the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 294,598 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $52,612,000 after buying an additional 56,578 shares in the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Williams-Sonoma news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 2,267 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.49, for a total transaction of $436,374.83. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 23,351 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,494,833.99. The trade was a 8.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 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 on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.61, for a total value of $3,452,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 938,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at $161,998,627.64. This trade represents a 2.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 88,004 shares of company stock valued at $16,420,107. Insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WSM has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird cut their price target 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. Morgan Stanley set a $210.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $225.00 target price (up from $220.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Williams-Sonoma from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price target for the company from $185.00 to $218.00 in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Evercore set a $200.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. One equities 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $211.47.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE WSM opened at $226.32 on Wednesday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 12-month low of $155.90 and a 12-month high of $234.41. The stock has a market cap of $26.65 billion, a PE ratio of 25.34, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.51. The company has a 50-day moving average of $197.54 and a 200 day moving average of $196.08.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. The business 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 revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.85 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.17%.

About Williams-Sonoma

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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