CX Institutional Makes New $625,000 Investment in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

CX Institutional acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 3,200 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $625,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Maseco LLP purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 111.8% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 144 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC grew its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 130.8% in the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 180 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. Richardson Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the second quarter valued at $48,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 1,236.8% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 254 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 235 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Up 0.7%

Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $199.10 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $185.94 and a 200-day moving average of $188.24. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52-week low of $130.07 and a 52-week high of $219.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.90, a PEG ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 1.58.

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

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 16th will be given a $0.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 16th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.04%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 12,161 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $181.07, for a total transaction of $2,201,992.27. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 846,927 shares in the company, valued at approximately $153,353,071.89. This trade represents a 1.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WSM has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $202.00 to $188.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Telsey Advisory Group cut their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $198.71.

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.