Quantitative Investment Management LLC Purchases New Shares in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Quantitative Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 4,563 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,063,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% in the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. MidFirst Bank purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Ballast Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC grew its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% during the 1st 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 during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.39, for a total value of $128,615.58. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,195 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,975,846.05. This represents a 2.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 3,156 shares of company stock valued at $738,699 in the last ninety days. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

WSM stock opened at $221.86 on Wednesday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 12 month low of $165.51 and a 12 month high of $254.89. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $233.44 and its 200 day moving average is $208.56. The company has a market capitalization of $26.13 billion, a PE ratio of 22.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 1.47.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.96 billion during 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 quarterly revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.00 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Friday, July 17th were issued a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is presently 31.12%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WSM has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $210.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Barclays set a $190.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Citigroup raised their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $248.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $275.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $244.44.

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.