Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Holdings Cut by Modera Wealth Management LLC

Modera Wealth Management LLC decreased its stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 4.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 184,739 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 9,004 shares during the quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $32,993,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 111.8% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 144 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 66.7% in the 3rd quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 220 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 57.2% in the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 228 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $48,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 1.3%

NYSE:WSM opened at $182.50 on Tuesday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1 year low of $133.57 and a 1 year high of $222.00. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $197.41 and its 200 day simple moving average is $193.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.72 billion, a PE ratio of 20.62, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.58.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 18th. The specialty retailer reported $3.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $0.14. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.94% and a return on equity of 51.45%. The business had revenue of $2.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.41 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.28 EPS. Williams-Sonoma’s revenue was down 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, April 17th will be paid a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 17th. This is a boost from Williams-Sonoma’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.83%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on WSM shares. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Evercore set a $215.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $188.00 to $208.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $220.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Williams-Sonoma from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. One investment 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.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $209.56.

Insider Activity at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $205.16, for a total value of $157,357.72. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 13,236 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,715,497.76. This trade represents a 5.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.39, for a total transaction of $7,258,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 806,537 shares in the company, valued at $167,267,708.43. The trade was a 4.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 88,451 shares of company stock worth $16,980,845. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Company 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.