Assetmark Inc. Has $69.66 Million Stock Position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM)

Key Points

• Assetmark Inc. increased its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 6.4%, owning approximately $69.66 million worth of the company's shares as of the end of the most recent quarter.
• CEO Laura Alber sold 30,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock for nearly $4.93 million, resulting in a 2.92% decrease in her ownership position.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.66 per share, with an annualized yield of 1.45%, set to be paid to shareholders on August 22nd.

Assetmark Inc. raised its stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 6.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 440,612 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 26,696 shares during the quarter. Assetmark Inc. owned approximately 0.36% of Williams-Sonoma worth $69,661,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,000. Sentry Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,000. Wayfinding Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Williams-Sonoma by 123.6% in the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 246 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares during the period. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In other Williams-Sonoma news, CEO Laura Alber sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.33, for a total transaction of $4,929,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 996,927 shares in the company, valued at approximately $163,825,013.91. This represents a 2.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $168.96, for a total value of $675,840.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 34,388 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,810,196.48. This trade represents a 10.42% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 72,000 shares of company stock valued at $11,906,700. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of WSM traded up $1.26 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $181.80. The stock had a trading volume of 818,197 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,202,717. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52 week low of $125.33 and a 52 week high of $219.98. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $165.43 and a 200 day moving average of $173.85. The company has a market cap of $22.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 1.45.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 22nd. The specialty retailer reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.67 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.35% and a return on equity of 52.79%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.48 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.66 per share. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.45%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 18th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.90%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $201.00 to $174.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $182.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Barclays set a $166.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Zelman & Associates started coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. They set an "underperform" rating on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $178.41.

Williams-Sonoma Company Profile

Williams-Sonoma, Inc operates as an omni-channel specialty retailer of various products for home. It offers cooking, dining, and entertaining products, such as cookware, tools, electrics, cutlery, tabletop and bar, outdoor, furniture, and a library of cookbooks under the Williams Sonoma Home brand, as well as home furnishings and decorative accessories under the Williams Sonoma lifestyle brand; and furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, table essentials, and decorative accessories under the Pottery Barn brand.