UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Trims Position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC cut its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 5.7% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,636,136 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 99,272 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $381,383,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of WSM. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp increased its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% during the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. MidFirst Bank bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Ballast Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC lifted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% in the 1st quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 168 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WSM opened at $235.07 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.06, a PEG ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.50. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $233.48 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $208.42. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52-week low of $165.51 and a 52-week high of $254.89.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 analyst estimates of $1.93 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.00 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity at Williams-Sonoma

In other Williams-Sonoma news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 3,156 shares of company stock valued at $738,699 over the last 90 days. 1.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler began coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, July 27th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 price objective on the stock. Seaport Research Partners reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Telsey Advisory Group set a $260.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Williams-Sonoma from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. One research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $244.44.

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.