Thomas Story & Son LLC Has $15.40 Million Stock Holdings in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Thomas Story & Son LLC lessened its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 11.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 78,792 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 10,162 shares during the period. Williams-Sonoma accounts for about 5.7% of Thomas Story & Son LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest position. Thomas Story & Son LLC owned approximately 0.06% of Williams-Sonoma worth $15,400,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of WSM. Maseco LLP acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its position in Williams-Sonoma by 130.8% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 180 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP raised its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 99.0% during the 1st quarter. Quarry LP now owns 199 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the period. Richardson Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the second quarter worth approximately $48,000. Finally, Cromwell Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 7,675.0% in the second quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 311 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 307 shares in the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

NYSE WSM opened at $190.87 on Monday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $186.61 and a 200-day moving average price of $185.33. The firm has a market cap of $22.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.00, a PEG ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 1.55. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1 year low of $130.07 and a 1 year high of $219.98.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The specialty retailer reported $1.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.09. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.30% and a return on equity of 53.10%. The company had revenue of $1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.86 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.96 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, January 16th will be given a dividend of $0.66 per share. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 16th. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.04%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on WSM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $168.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 28th. Telsey Advisory Group lowered their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $202.00 to $188.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $210.00 to $200.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, December 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $199.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 3,500 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.79, for a total transaction of $695,765.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 14,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,783,656.37. This trade represents a 20.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 12,161 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $181.07, for a total value of $2,201,992.27. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 846,927 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $153,353,071.89. This trade represents a 1.42% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 33,500 shares of company stock valued at $6,082,197 over the last ninety days. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company 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.