Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Shares Sold by Modera Wealth Management LLC

Modera Wealth Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 4.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 184,739 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 9,004 shares during the quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC owned approximately 0.15% of Williams-Sonoma worth $32,993,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of WSM. Boston Partners bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter worth about $254,778,000. Voya Investment Management LLC grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 184.3% in the 3rd 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 during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 30.7% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,269,461 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $443,566,000 after purchasing an additional 532,995 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 4,142.7% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 478,072 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $93,439,000 after purchasing an additional 466,804 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 307.7% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 600,526 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $117,373,000 after purchasing an additional 453,214 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WSM opened at $182.50 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.62, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.58. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1-year low of $133.57 and a 1-year high of $222.00. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $197.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $193.35.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 18th. The specialty retailer reported $3.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $2.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.41 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.94% and a return on equity of 51.45%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.28 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, April 17th will be given a $0.76 dividend. This is a boost from Williams-Sonoma’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is currently 29.83%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on WSM. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $235.00 to $225.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Evercore set a $215.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Williams-Sonoma from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $206.00 to $214.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, Zelman & Associates upgraded shares of Williams-Sonoma from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $205.00 price objective for the company in a report on Thursday, January 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $209.56.

Insider Activity at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.04, for a total value of $3,660,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 786,537 shares in the company, valued at approximately $143,967,732.48. This represents a 2.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 32,684 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.64, for a total transaction of $5,904,037.76. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 34,138 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,166,688.32. This trade represents a 48.91% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 88,451 shares of company stock worth $16,980,845. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.