Investors came into the new week feeling somewhat nervous about the state of the stock market, particularly given the losses earlier in September. However, some renewed confidence in the economy’s ability to withstand pressures from high inflation paved the way for solid gains. The Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) picked up the most ground, but the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) and S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) were also higher on the day.
Index
Percentage Change
Point Change
Dow Jones Industrials
+0.13%
+43
S&P 500
+0.40%
+17
Nasdaq Composite
+0.45%
+60
Data source: Yahoo! Finance.
Several stocks posted sizable gains on the day. Among the more influential were Sea Limited (NYSE: SE) and Williams-Sonoma (NYSE: WSM), both of which were able to climb by more than 10%. Read on to learn more about why these two companies did so well and what could be on the horizon in the near future.
Shares of Sea Limited climbed 12% on Monday. The news that helped send Sea sharply higher was less about its positive prospects and more about the negative prospects hitting one of its key competitors.
Sea had its initial success by combining its video-game business with broader e-commerce exposure , and it has earned a significant share of the market in Southeast Asia with its Shopee platform. Yet social media TikTok has recently become more of a competitive threat, as it has expanded the scope of its business to encompass not just its famous short-video platform but also e-commerce through its TikTok Shop platform.
However, the Indonesian government is now reportedly looking at the practice of using social media platforms to further e-commerce ends, and some speculate that Indonesia might attempt to curb the practice. If that happened, then it would potentially benefit Sea at TikTok’s expense, helping to preserve more of Sea’s market share and making it a more viable market in which Sea could pursue expansion plans.
Sea has had a tough year so far, as economic strains across the globe have weighed on the company’s near-term prospects. However, Sea’s position in Southeast Asia has plenty of longer-term promise, and anything that can put it in a better competitive position should be good for the stock in the long run.
Shares of Williams-Sonoma, meanwhile, picked up 12% on Monday. The upscale home-furnishings retailer has caught the attention of one of its major institutional investors, and shareholders were pleased to see that investor take greater interest in the company.
Private equity company Leonard Green & Partners increased its position in Williams-Sonoma stock, according to reports from Yahoo! Finance. The investing institution had already held a significant position, but its most recent purchases took the stake to nearly 5% of the retailer’s outstanding stock.
At least for now, the private equity company has not signaled any intent to take a more active role in Williams-Sonoma’s business. However, some investors might be speculating that a boost in interest could signal a longer-term intention to take a more active role in unlocking shareholder value.
The jump took Williams-Sonoma’s stock to its best levels of the year, although the share price is still well below its highs from late 2021. If the company can follow through on the expectations of Leonard Green & Partners and other institutional holders, then all of Williams-Sonoma’s shareholders might end up reaping the rewards.
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Dan Caplinger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Sea Limited and Williams-Sonoma. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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