Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Shares Sold by Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc.

Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. lowered its position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 53.5% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 4,604 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 5,293 shares during the period. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $1,073,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp lifted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. MidFirst Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Ballast Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC grew its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% in the first 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 and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Key Williams-Sonoma News

Here are the key news stories impacting Williams-Sonoma this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Telsey raises price target: Telsey Advisory Group increased its target from $225 to $255 and maintained an “outperform” rating, implying additional upside and reflecting confidence in Williams-Sonoma’s earnings outlook. Telsey price target article
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs issues a Buy rating: The bullish recommendation provides additional institutional support for WSM and suggests analysts see longer-term value in the specialty home-furnishings retailer. Goldman Sachs Buy article
• Positive Sentiment: New 12-month high: Williams-Sonoma recently reached a fresh yearly high following an analyst upgrade, indicating strong momentum and investor interest. Williams-Sonoma 12-month high article
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst views: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $240 but assigned a “hold” rating, contrasting with Telsey and Goldman Sachs and signaling limited conviction at current valuation levels. Wells Fargo price target article
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro data remains a focus: Investors are watching the CPI report for signals on inflation, interest rates and household purchasing power—factors that could affect demand for discretionary home goods. CPI outlook article
• Negative Sentiment: Former executive pleads guilty: A former Williams-Sonoma executive admitted involvement in a $16 million warehouse kickback scheme. Although the conduct is attributed to a former employee, the case could raise concerns about past controls, governance and reputational risk. Warehouse kickback scheme article
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and profit-taking risk: Recent weakness followed a strong advance, while WSM’s above-market valuation may make investors more cautious when broader markets rise but the stock underperforms.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of WSM opened at $242.42 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $28.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.15, a PEG ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.50. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $228.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $206.34. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1 year low of $165.51 and a 1 year high of $254.89.

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

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is currently 34.04%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $3,000,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 923,524 shares in the company, valued at approximately $184,704,800. This represents a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 in the company, valued at $4,975,846.05. This trade represents a 2.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 18,156 shares of company stock valued at $3,738,699. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WSM has been the subject of several research reports. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings raised Williams-Sonoma from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Argus set a $230.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, May 29th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $192.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $227.88.

Williams-Sonoma 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.