Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Holdings Boosted by Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. raised its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 405,156 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,414 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $92,351,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WSM. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd lifted 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 purchasing an additional 45,278 shares during the period. Little House Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the first quarter worth approximately $801,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 12.1% in the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 302,105 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $70,540,000 after purchasing an additional 32,644 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 313.2% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 49,821 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $11,613,000 after purchasing an additional 37,764 shares during the period. Finally, Raiffeisen Bank International AG grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 319.2% in the 2nd quarter. Raiffeisen Bank International AG now owns 6,673 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,603,000 after purchasing an additional 5,081 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Williams-Sonoma news, Director Anne A. Finucane sold 794 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $252.14, for a total value of $200,199.16. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 9,404 shares in the company, valued at $2,371,124.56. This represents a 7.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 3,045 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.61, for a total value of $671,757.45. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 34,138 shares in the company, valued at $7,531,184.18. This trade represents a 8.19% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 40,883 shares of company stock valued at $9,117,518 over the last three months. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Down 0.4%

WSM opened at $253.05 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $234.27 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $218.73. The company has a market capitalization of $29.80 billion, a PE ratio of 25.90, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.48. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1-year low of $165.51 and a 1-year high of $256.86.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.96 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.93 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.73% and a return on equity of 53.48%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.00 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on WSM. Evercore set a $255.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday. Argus raised their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, August 10th. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $261.00 price objective (up from $250.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group set a $260.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $247.94.

Williams-Sonoma Company Profile

Williams-Sonoma, Inc is a specialty retailer focused on home furnishings, décor, kitchenware and related products. The company operates a portfolio of lifestyle brands, including Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Pottery Barn Kids, Rejuvenation and Mark & Graham.

Its products include cookware, tableware, appliances, furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, home accessories, gifts and personalized merchandise. Williams-Sonoma reaches customers through e-commerce websites, retail stores, catalogs and trade and contract sales, serving both individual consumers and professional customers such as interior designers and hospitality businesses.

Founded in 1956 by Chuck Williams, the company began as a retailer specializing in high-quality French cookware before expanding into a broader home-focused portfolio.