114,829 Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Shares Sold by Pictet Asset Management Holding SA

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA reduced its stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 22.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 393,877 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 114,829 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA owned 0.33% of Williams-Sonoma worth $89,780,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,656,062,000. Aristotle Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 22.0% in the 1st quarter. Aristotle Capital Management LLC now owns 11,140,471 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $2,031,242,000 after acquiring an additional 2,009,032 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,906,785 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,376,872,000 after acquiring an additional 112,683 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 9.2% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,664,580 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $485,833,000 after acquiring an additional 224,128 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,479,064 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $269,640,000 after acquiring an additional 20,886 shares during the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

NYSE:WSM opened at $261.46 on Tuesday. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $239.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $216.25. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $165.51 and a fifty-two week high of $274.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $30.79 billion, a PE ratio of 26.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.49.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.93 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.48% and a net margin of 14.73%. Williams-Sonoma's revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.00 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.50 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 16th will be given a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 16th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio is currently 31.12%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Seaport Research Partners restated a "buy" rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, August 14th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $210.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Credit Suisse Group set a $261.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Bank of America reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $261.00 price target (up from $250.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, August 24th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group set a $260.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $249.17.

Insider Activity at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 3,045 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.61, for a total value of $671,757.45. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 34,138 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,531,184.18. The trade was a 8.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Anne A. Finucane sold 794 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.14, for a total transaction of $200,199.16. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 9,404 shares in the company, valued at $2,371,124.56. This represents a 7.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 39,361 shares of company stock valued at $8,738,903. Insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

About Williams-Sonoma

Williams-Sonoma, Inc is a specialty retailer focused on home furnishings, kitchenware and related products. Its portfolio includes Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and Teen, West Elm, Rejuvenation, and Mark and Graham, with offerings ranging from cookware and furniture to lighting, textiles, décor and gifts.

Founded in 1956 by Chuck Williams as a cookware shop in Sonoma, California, the company has grown into a multichannel retailer. It sells through its websites and retail stores, serving customers in North America and select international markets.

Laura Alber is the company's chief executive officer.

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