Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Shares Sold by Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt

Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt lowered its stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 93.5% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,000 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 14,500 shares during the period. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $182,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp lifted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% in the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. MidFirst Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC increased its position in 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 in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company set a $190.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. TD Cowen decreased their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $250.00 to $225.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $225.00 price target (up from $220.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, June 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $210.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $212.65.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 1.1%

Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $222.85 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $209.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $200.77. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52 week low of $161.76 and a 52 week high of $244.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.96, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.49.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.29% and a net margin of 13.81%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.85 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.39 EPS for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Friday, July 17th will be given a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.17%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Williams-Sonoma news, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $184,704,800. This trade represents a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $254,080.88. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 21,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,962,117.33. This represents a 4.87% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 51,634 shares of company stock valued at $9,812,283. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.