Korea Investment CORP Buys New Stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Korea Investment CORP bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 47,839 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $11,151,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd increased its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 1,844.3% in the first quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 47,733 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $8,703,000 after purchasing an additional 45,278 shares during the period. Little House Capital LLC bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $801,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 5,019.6% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 89,388 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $15,964,000 after buying an additional 87,642 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,173,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in Williams-Sonoma by 23.8% in the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 294,598 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $52,612,000 after buying an additional 56,578 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 0.2%

WSM opened at $238.05 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $232.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $207.87. The stock has a market cap of $28.03 billion, a PE ratio of 26.66, a P/E/G ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.50. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1 year low of $165.51 and a 1 year high of $254.89.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is 34.04%.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In other news, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $3,000,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 923,524 shares in the company, valued at approximately $184,704,800. This represents a 1.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.39, for a total value of $128,615.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,195 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,975,846.05. The trade was a 2.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 18,156 shares of company stock worth $3,738,699. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Argus set a $230.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Credit Suisse Group set a $261.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday. Morgan Stanley set a $210.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, July 27th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Evercore set a $240.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $234.11.

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.