Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Shares Bought by Penserra Capital Management LLC

Penserra Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 34.3% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 9,068 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,317 shares during the period. Penserra Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $1,770,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter worth approximately $212,107,000. Voya Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 184.3% during the third quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 861,236 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $167,927,000 after purchasing an additional 558,311 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 30.6% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,741,639 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $284,532,000 after buying an additional 407,929 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 30.0% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,736,466 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $283,686,000 after buying an additional 401,138 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 44.9% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,256,734 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $205,317,000 after buying an additional 389,548 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.39, for a total value of $7,258,650.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 806,537 shares in the company, valued at $167,267,708.43. This trade represents a 4.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $205.16, for a total value of $157,357.72. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 13,236 shares in the company, valued at $2,715,497.76. This represents a 5.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 65,767 shares of company stock worth $12,802,440. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 3.9%

Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $220.81 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $195.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $193.98. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a twelve month low of $130.07 and a twelve month high of $221.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $26.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.29, a PEG ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 1.64.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The specialty retailer reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.09. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.10% and a net margin of 14.30%.The business had revenue of $1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.86 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.96 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 16th will be paid a $0.66 dividend. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 16th. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.04%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on WSM. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $245.00 price target (up from $210.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zelman & Associates upgraded Williams-Sonoma from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $205.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $202.00 to $188.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $201.83.

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.