Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Stock Bought by Envestnet Asset Management Inc.

Key Points

• Envestnet Asset Management increased its Williams-Sonoma stake by 5.2% in the second quarter, purchasing 22,833 additional shares and bringing its holdings to 461,832 shares valued at approximately $107.7 million. Institutional investors collectively own 99.29% of the company.
• Williams-Sonoma beat quarterly expectations, reporting $2.10 in EPS and $1.96 billion in revenue, with sales up 6.7% year over year. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $245.56.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, equivalent to $3.04 annually and a 1.3% yield. Meanwhile, the CFO and CEO sold shares under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plans.

Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 5.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 461,832 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 22,833 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. owned approximately 0.39% of Williams-Sonoma worth $107,652,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. IMG Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter worth about $35,000. Ballast Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the first quarter worth approximately $30,000. MidFirst Bank bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC raised its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% in the first quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 168 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $231.73 on Friday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52-week low of $165.51 and a 52-week high of $254.89. The company has a fifty day moving average of $232.78 and a 200-day moving average of $211.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.47.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.93 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.73% and a return on equity of 53.48%. The firm's revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.00 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 20th. Investors of record on Friday, October 16th will be given a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 16th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.12%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on WSM shares. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, August 10th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $247.00 price objective (up from $190.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Thursday, August 27th. KeyCorp reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $270.00 target price (up from $250.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Credit Suisse Group set a $261.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $260.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $245.56.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 3,045 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.61, for a total transaction of $671,757.45. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 34,138 shares in the company, valued at $7,531,184.18. This represents a 8.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a 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 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.20, for a total transaction of $7,742,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 853,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at $188,799,508.80. The trade was a 3.94% 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. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 39,567 shares of company stock valued at $8,792,373. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Williams-Sonoma

Williams-Sonoma, Inc is a specialty retailer focused on high-quality home furnishings, housewares and lifestyle products. The company sells furniture, bedding, bath goods, lighting, rugs, window treatments, home décor, kitchen equipment, cookware, tabletop products, outdoor furnishings and related accessories through e-commerce platforms, catalogs and retail stores.

The company operates a portfolio of brands that includes Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Teen, West Elm, Mark & Graham and Rejuvenation.

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