UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Sells 99,272 Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 5.7% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,636,136 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 99,272 shares during the quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC owned 1.39% of Williams-Sonoma worth $381,383,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 1,844.3% during the first quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 47,733 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $8,703,000 after buying an additional 45,278 shares during the period. Little House Capital LLC bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the first quarter worth about $801,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in Williams-Sonoma by 5,019.6% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 89,388 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $15,964,000 after acquiring an additional 87,642 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,173,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 23.8% in the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 294,598 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $52,612,000 after acquiring an additional 56,578 shares during the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on WSM shares. Evercore set a $245.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday. Credit Suisse Group set a $261.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, July 27th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, August 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $244.44.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Williams-Sonoma news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $254,080.88. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 21,717 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,962,117.33. The trade was a 4.87% decrease in their position. The sale 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. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 3,156 shares of company stock valued at $738,699. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:WSM opened at $235.07 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.68 billion, a PE ratio of 24.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.50. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a twelve month low of $165.51 and a twelve month high of $254.89. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $233.48 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $208.42.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.02. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.73% and a return on equity of 53.48%. The firm had revenue of $1.96 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.93 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.00 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Friday, July 17th were paid a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is currently 31.12%.

Williams-Sonoma News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Williams-Sonoma this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Williams-Sonoma exceeded expectations with adjusted earnings of $2.10 per share versus the $2.08 consensus and revenue of $1.96 billion versus estimates of $1.93 billion. Comparable sales increased 6.2%, reflecting broad-based growth across its brands, including Pottery Barn and West Elm. Williams-Sonoma Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its full-year revenue and earnings outlook, signaling confidence that market-share gains and improving comparable-sales trends can continue in the second half. Analysts highlighted that the company has moved beyond its most difficult year-over-year margin comparison, while comps are accelerating. Williams-Sonoma’s Most Difficult Margin Comparison Is Behind It
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts raised their price targets following the results. KeyBanc increased its target to $270, RBC reaffirmed an Outperform rating with a $260 target, and Morgan Stanley lifted its target to $240 while maintaining an Equal Weight rating. Jim Cramer also argued that the post-earnings selloff did not reflect the strength of the report. Analysts Increase Forecasts on Williams-Sonoma
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target from $248 to $252 but retained a Neutral rating, while Guggenheim also maintained Neutral. This reflects continued confidence in the business but limited conviction that the current valuation offers substantial upside. Analyst Insights on Williams-Sonoma
• Negative Sentiment: Gross margin declined because of tariffs, creating a key risk to earnings if higher costs cannot be offset through pricing, sourcing, or operating efficiencies. The company also remains exposed to a weak housing market and cautious discretionary spending. Williams-Sonoma Grew Comps 6.2% and Raised Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: The muted market reaction suggests investors may have been positioned for an even stronger report, or may be taking profits after a substantial rally. At roughly 24 times earnings and near its 52-week high, WSM’s valuation leaves less room for execution disappointments.

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.