Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Makes New Investment in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. purchased a new stake 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 purchased 2,449 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $571,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of WSM. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd lifted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 1,844.3% in the 1st 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 last quarter. Little House Capital LLC acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $801,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 5,019.6% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 89,388 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $15,964,000 after purchasing an additional 87,642 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter worth about $1,173,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 23.8% during 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.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on WSM. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $192.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Argus set a $230.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Credit Suisse Group set a $261.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Williams-Sonoma from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners restated a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, August 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $234.11.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of WSM opened at $234.74 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $27.64 billion, a PE ratio of 26.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.50. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52-week low of $165.51 and a 52-week high of $254.89. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $232.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $208.00.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Friday, July 17th were paid a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio is currently 34.04%.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In other Williams-Sonoma news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total value of $254,080.88. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 21,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,962,117.33. This trade represents a 4.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 3,156 shares of company stock worth $738,699 over the last 90 days. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.