Lazard Asset Management LLC Has $5.14 Million Holdings in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 10.0% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,187 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,563 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $5,139,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of WSM. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp grew its position in 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 purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. MidFirst Bank acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% during the 1st quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 168 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the period. Finally, DV Equities LLC bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

Shares of WSM opened at $228.89 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $26.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.63, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.49. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a one year low of $165.51 and a one year high of $244.65. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $221.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $203.96.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.29% and a net margin of 13.81%.The business had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.85 EPS. Williams-Sonoma’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio is presently 34.04%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on WSM shares. KeyCorp boosted their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Bank of America initiated coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, June 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $208.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Argus set a $230.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $215.47.

Insider Buying and Selling at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total value of $254,080.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 21,717 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,962,117.33. The trade was a 4.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $3,000,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 923,524 shares in the company, valued at approximately $184,704,800. This trade represents a 1.60% 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. Insiders have sold 36,634 shares of company stock worth $6,812,283 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

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.