Diversify Wealth Management LLC Purchases 3,302 Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Diversify Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 294.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 4,422 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,302 shares during the period. Diversify Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $801,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% during the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. MidFirst Bank purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC boosted 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 valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total value of $254,080.88. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 21,717 shares in the company, valued at $4,962,117.33. This trade represents a 4.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.61, for a total value of $3,452,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 938,524 shares in the company, valued at $161,998,627.64. The trade was a 2.09% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 36,634 shares of company stock worth $6,812,283 in the last quarter. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Williams-Sonoma from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $185.00 to $218.00 in a report on Monday, April 13th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $235.00 to $225.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Williams-Sonoma from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Citigroup cut their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $208.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, KeyCorp boosted their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $212.65.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Up 2.6%

Shares of NYSE:WSM opened at $228.61 on Friday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52-week low of $165.51 and a 52-week high of $244.65. The stock has a market cap of $26.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.60, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.49. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $209.92 and a 200-day moving average price of $201.05.

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

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

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 given a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.04%.

Williams-Sonoma Company 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.