Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Shares Sold by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group cut its Williams-Sonoma stake by 3.4%, selling 8,726 shares in the third quarter; it retained 248,380 shares valued at about $56.6 million. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company.
• Insiders sold 39,883 shares worth about $8.9 million over the last quarter. Two disclosed sales by an executive and a director were made under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans.
• Analysts’ consensus rating is Moderate Buy, with a $247.89 average price target. In its latest reported quarter, Williams-Sonoma beat earnings and revenue expectations, with revenue up 6.7% year over year.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lowered its position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 248,380 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 8,726 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned about 0.21% of Williams-Sonoma worth $56,616,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WSM. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 3rd quarter valued at about $7,371,000. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 59.2% in the 3rd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 30,266 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $6,899,000 after buying an additional 11,260 shares during the period. Vise Technologies Inc. grew its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 47.8% in the 3rd quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 9,786 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $2,231,000 after acquiring an additional 3,165 shares in the last quarter. MGO One Seven LLC grew its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 13.5% in the 3rd quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 3,525 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $803,000 after acquiring an additional 420 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Wyoming bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter worth about $138,000. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In other news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $239.36, for a total value of $124,945.92. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 19,673 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,708,929.28. The trade was a 2.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Anne A. Finucane sold 794 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $252.14, for a total transaction of $200,199.16. Following the sale, the director directly owned 9,404 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,371,124.56. The trade was a 7.79% 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 quarter, insiders have sold 39,883 shares of company stock valued at $8,867,518. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on WSM. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $261.00 price target (up from $230.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $210.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating and set a $270.00 price objective (up from $250.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $275.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $247.89.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 2.3%

Shares of NYSE WSM opened at $253.45 on Wednesday. The business's 50 day moving average price is $237.15 and its 200 day moving average price is $215.25. The firm has a market cap of $29.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.49. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52 week low of $165.51 and a 52 week high of $263.65.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.02. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.73% and a return on equity of 53.48%. The firm had revenue of $1.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.93 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.00 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.50 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 20th. Investors of record on Friday, October 16th will be issued a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 16th. Williams-Sonoma's payout ratio is presently 31.12%.

Williams-Sonoma Profile

Williams-Sonoma, Inc is a specialty retailer focused on home furnishings, décor, kitchenware and related products. The company operates a portfolio of lifestyle brands, including Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Pottery Barn Kids, Rejuvenation and Mark & Graham.

Its products include cookware, tableware, appliances, furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, home accessories, gifts and personalized merchandise. Williams-Sonoma reaches customers through e-commerce websites, retail stores, catalogs and trade and contract sales, serving both individual consumers and professional customers such as interior designers and hospitality businesses.

Founded in 1956 by Chuck Williams, the company began as a retailer specializing in high-quality French cookware before expanding into a broader home-focused portfolio.

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