Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) Shares Acquired by Janney Montgomery Scott LLC

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 119.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,057 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,378 shares during the quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $3,013,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Sentry Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,000. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 1st quarter worth $33,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the first quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter valued at $49,000. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

NYSE:WSM opened at $157.86 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $19.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.47. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $158.24 and its 200 day moving average price is $176.63. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1-year low of $125.33 and a 1-year high of $219.98.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 22nd. The specialty retailer reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.09. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.35% and a return on equity of 52.79%. The company had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.67 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.48 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 18th will be given a $0.66 dividend. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.67%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 18th. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is 29.90%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on WSM shares. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $195.00 to $185.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $182.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Robert W. Baird upgraded Williams-Sonoma from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $170.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Finally, Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $175.00 to $170.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $176.75.

Insider Buying and Selling at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.78, for a total value of $4,973,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,018,374 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $168,826,041.72. This trade represents a 2.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 4,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction on Monday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.11, for a total value of $628,440.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 38,388 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,031,138.68. This represents a 9.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 113,227 shares of company stock valued at $18,520,913. 1.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Company Profile

Williams-Sonoma, Inc operates as an omni-channel specialty retailer of various products for home. It offers cooking, dining, and entertaining products, such as cookware, tools, electrics, cutlery, tabletop and bar, outdoor, furniture, and a library of cookbooks under the Williams Sonoma Home brand, as well as home furnishings and decorative accessories under the Williams Sonoma lifestyle brand; and furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, table essentials, and decorative accessories under the Pottery Barn brand.