Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Stock: Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Increases Holdings

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 2.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 76,270 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,993 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $17,385,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of WSM. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,656,062,000. Aristotle Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 22.0% in the first quarter. Aristotle Capital Management LLC now owns 11,140,471 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $2,031,242,000 after purchasing an additional 2,009,032 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the second quarter worth $264,441,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the second quarter worth $188,603,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the second quarter worth $166,622,000. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WSM has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Seaport Research Partners reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $259.00 price objective (down from $260.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Telsey Advisory Group set a $260.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Argus lifted their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $249.17.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of WSM opened at $262.20 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $240.57 and a 200 day simple moving average of $216.79. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52-week low of $165.51 and a 52-week high of $274.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.88 billion, a PE ratio of 28.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 1.49.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.93 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.48% and a net margin of 14.73%. Williams-Sonoma’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.00 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.50 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 16th will be issued a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 16th. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio is 31.12%.

Insider Activity at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.20, for a total transaction of $7,742,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 853,524 shares in the company, valued at $188,799,508.80. This trade represents a 3.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.36, for a total transaction of $124,945.92. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 19,673 shares in the company, valued at $4,708,929.28. This represents a 2.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 39,361 shares of company stock worth $8,738,903 over the last ninety days. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Profile

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a specialty retailer focused on home furnishings, kitchenware and related products. Its portfolio includes Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and Teen, West Elm, Rejuvenation, and Mark and Graham, with offerings ranging from cookware and furniture to lighting, textiles, décor and gifts. Founded in 1956 by Chuck Williams as a cookware shop in Sonoma, California, the company has grown into a multichannel retailer. It sells through its websites and retail stores, serving customers in North America and select international markets.