Thomas Story & Son LLC has recently reduced its stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. by 3% during the fourth quarter of the financial year. The institutional investor owned approximately 44,785 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 1,385 shares during this period. This move by Thomas Story & Son LLC portrays a slight decrease and brings down Williams-Sonoma’s total portfolio to approximately 2.6%. The stock is now considered their 16th biggest holding.
According to its most recent SEC filing, Thomas Story & Son LLC owned around 0.07% of Williams-Sonoma worth $5,147,000 at that time. Recently, on March 16th, Williams-Sonoma announced their quarterly earnings results wherein they reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $5.50 for the quarter – which exceeded the consensus estimate by $0.09.
This leading specialty retailer operates mainly in home products retailing with a range of segments that include Pottery Barn, West Elm and several others – including net revenues from a few international franchise operations such as Rejuvenation and Mark and Graham.
Despite facing declining revenues – down by 1.9% on a year-over-year basis as compared to last year’s revenue figures – Williams-Sonoma had returned on equity of over 80%, showcasing robust profitability and operational efficiency within the given market segment thus exemplifying overall retail sector strength.
Notably, analysts predict impressive earnings potential for Williams-Sonoma as it’s set to post around $13.52 in earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
In conclusion, while it may seem like Thomas Story & Son LLC pared down their stake in Williams-Sonoma slightly earlier this year, we cannot ignore the larger picture here: that despite facing economic headwinds due to COVID-19 pandemic or other factors impacting shopping behavior – Williams-Sonoma remains one promising home products retailer with a steady track record of profitability and overall retail sector growth.
Williams-Sonoma: The Upscale Home Retailer with Growing Investment Appeal
Williams-Sonoma: The Home Retailing Giant
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a well-known American retail company that specializes in selling high-end products for the home. It operates through several popular brands including Pottery Barn, West Elm, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn Kids and Teen, and Other. The Other segment includes international franchise operations, Rejuvenation, and Mark and Graham.
Recently, Cascade Investment Advisors Inc., YorkBridge Wealth Partners LLC, Brighton Jones LLC, Western Wealth Management LLC, and Janiczek Wealth Management LLC all made significant holdings in Williams-Sonoma stock. Cascade Investment Advisors raised its stake by 0.9%, now owning 9,872 shares worth $1.13 million; YorkBridge Wealth Partners boosted its position by 3.7%, now owning 2,392 shares valued at $282K; Brighton Jones grew its stake by 1.4% holding 6,428 shares totaling $758K; Western Wealth Management increased its holdings by 2.1% with 4 ,683 shares valued at $575k; and lastly Janiczek Wealth Management celebrated an increase of 16.8% with its holding of the speciality retailer’s stock to be worth $80k consisting of 666 shares.
The company’s stock opened on April 10th at $116.96 with a market capitalization of $7.75 billion and has been subject to target price adjustments from various equities research analysts recently as well as reports that rate WSM as “Hold” on Bloomberg.com due to a consensus target price of $127.47 where there have been five sell ratings associated with the stock.
Williams-Sonoma has had long-standing success in providing luxury goods for household essentials such as cookware for over sixty years now starting from just one store in California which has turned into an international empire with regional stores also offering cooking classes and free in-store consultations to help create personalized homes, it really does bring their brand to life. The company has also recently increased its quarterly dividend by 15.38% from $0.78 to $0.90, representing a payout ratio of 19.06% or a dividend yield of circa 3%.
Their commitment to quality and trend-setting home products along with customer engagement is evident in the fact these institutional investors value them so highly, having lifted their holdings significantly this year. As Williams-Sonoma continues to expand and introduce innovative products through their growing brands, they remain a sound investment option for those seeking dependable returns with great potential for growth.
