Aristotle Capital Management LLC Has $1.79 Billion Position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Key Points

• Aristotle Capital slightly trimmed its stake in Williams‑Sonoma by 0.1% in Q3 to 9,136,069 shares (about 7.5% of the company) valued at roughly $1.79 billion, making WSM its third‑largest holding and about 3.5% of the fund's portfolio.
• CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares for about $7.26 million (avg $207.39), a 4.16% reduction in her stake; insiders now own roughly 1.10% of the company's stock.
• Williams‑Sonoma pays a quarterly dividend of $0.66 ($2.64 annual, yield ~1.5%, DPR ~29%), and Wall Street has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with a $203.78 average price target.

Aristotle Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 0.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 9,136,069 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 9,375 shares during the quarter. Williams-Sonoma accounts for about 3.5% of Aristotle Capital Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest position. Aristotle Capital Management LLC owned approximately 7.50% of Williams-Sonoma worth $1,785,645,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 22.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,742 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,248,000 after acquiring an additional 1,236 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth $227,000. Woodline Partners LP acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the first quarter worth $1,644,000. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 31.7% during the second quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 25,139 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $4,107,000 after purchasing an additional 6,044 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 55.9% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 678 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $111,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company's stock.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE WSM opened at $180.24 on Friday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a one year low of $130.07 and a one year high of $222.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.52 billion, a PE ratio of 19.83, a PEG ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.64. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $204.98 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $195.17.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, January 16th were issued a dividend of $0.66 per share. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 16th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.39, for a total transaction of $7,258,650.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 806,537 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $167,267,708.43. The trade was a 4.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $205.16, for a total transaction of $157,357.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 13,236 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,715,497.76. This represents a 5.48% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on WSM shares. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $245.00 price target (up from $210.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Zelman & Associates raised shares of Williams-Sonoma from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $205.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $220.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Williams-Sonoma from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Evercore set a $215.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $203.78.

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.

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