14,154 Shares in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Bought by Lotus Technology Management LP

Lotus Technology Management LP acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 14,154 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $3,299,000. Williams-Sonoma comprises approximately 4.1% of Lotus Technology Management LP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WSM. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd increased its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 1,844.3% in the 1st quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 47,733 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $8,703,000 after acquiring an additional 45,278 shares during the last quarter. Little House Capital LLC bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the 1st quarter worth approximately $801,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 5,019.6% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 89,388 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $15,964,000 after acquiring an additional 87,642 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,173,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 23.8% during the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 294,598 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $52,612,000 after purchasing an additional 56,578 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.39, for a total transaction of $128,615.58. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,195 shares in the company, valued at $4,975,846.05. This trade represents a 2.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 3,156 shares of company stock worth $738,699 over the last ninety days. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on WSM shares. Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $261.00 target price (up from $250.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Monday. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $248.00 price objective (up from $200.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. KeyCorp raised their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $210.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $234.11.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

NYSE WSM opened at $234.74 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $27.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.29, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.50. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $232.78 and a 200 day simple moving average of $208.00. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52-week low of $165.51 and a 52-week high of $254.89.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 17th were given a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio is currently 34.04%.

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.