Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Stock: Modera Wealth Management LLC Trims Position

Key Points

• Modera Wealth Management trimmed its Williams-Sonoma stake by 4.9% in the third quarter, selling 8,127 shares and retaining 158,576 shares valued at approximately $36.1 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 99.29% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with 10 Buy ratings and eight Hold ratings producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $247.89.
• Williams-Sonoma’s latest quarterly results modestly exceeded expectations, with earnings of $2.10 per share and revenue of $1.96 billion; the company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, implying a 1.2% yield.

Modera Wealth Management LLC reduced its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 158,576 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 8,127 shares during the quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC owned 0.13% of Williams-Sonoma worth $36,146,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the second quarter worth $2,656,062,000. Aristotle Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 22.0% in the first quarter. Aristotle Capital Management LLC now owns 11,140,471 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $2,031,242,000 after purchasing an additional 2,009,032 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 1.9% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,906,785 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,376,872,000 after purchasing an additional 112,683 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in Williams-Sonoma by 9.2% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,664,580 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $485,833,000 after purchasing an additional 224,128 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in Williams-Sonoma by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,479,064 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $269,640,000 after purchasing an additional 20,886 shares during the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on WSM. KeyCorp reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $270.00 price target (up from $250.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Williams-Sonoma from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Monday, August 31st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Seaport Research Partners restated a "buy" rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $259.00 target price (down from $260.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Thursday. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $247.89.

Insider Activity at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, Director Anne A. Finucane sold 794 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.14, for a total value of $200,199.16. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 9,404 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,371,124.56. This trade represents a 7.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.36, for a total value of $124,945.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 19,673 shares in the company, valued at $4,708,929.28. The trade was a 2.58% 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. Insiders sold 40,883 shares of company stock valued at $9,117,518 over the last three months. 1.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 2.8%

NYSE WSM opened at $252.64 on Friday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a twelve month low of $165.51 and a twelve month high of $263.65. The stock has a market cap of $29.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.86, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 1.48. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $236.40 and its 200 day simple moving average is $214.75.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.93 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.48% and a net margin of 14.73%. The business's revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.00 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.50 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

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

Williams-Sonoma Company 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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