Vanguard Group Inc. Acquires 6,703 Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 0.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 15,605,872 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,703 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 0.13% of Williams-Sonoma worth $3,050,168,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 111.8% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 144 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 130.8% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 180 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 57.2% in the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 228 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter valued at $48,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 1,236.8% in the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 254 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 235 shares during the period. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.16, for a total transaction of $157,357.72. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 13,236 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,715,497.76. This trade represents a 5.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $167,267,708.43. This trade represents a 4.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 65,767 shares of company stock worth $12,802,440. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

Shares of WSM opened at $214.10 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $201.17 and its 200-day moving average is $195.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.56 billion, a PE ratio of 23.55, a PEG ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 1.64. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $130.07 and a fifty-two week high of $221.81.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The specialty retailer reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.86 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.30% and a return on equity of 53.10%. Williams-Sonoma’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.96 EPS. Analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 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 1.2%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.04%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $202.00 to $188.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, 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 research note on Thursday, November 20th. One investment 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $202.11.

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.