Assetmark Inc. Buys 9,194 Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Key Points

• Assetmark Inc. boosted its stake in Williams‑Sonoma by 2.1% in Q4, purchasing 9,194 shares to hold 456,165 shares (about 0.38% of the company) worth roughly $81.47 million.
• Williams‑Sonoma beat EPS expectations ($3.04 vs. $2.90) while revenue declined 4.3% year‑over‑year, and the company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.76 ($3.04 annualized, ~1.6% yield).
• Insiders have been net sellers—CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares and insiders sold 92,137 shares (~$17.7M) over the past 90 days—while institutional investors own 99.29% of the stock and analysts hold a consensus "Moderate Buy" target of $210.50.

Assetmark Inc. boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 2.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 456,165 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 9,194 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc. owned approximately 0.38% of Williams-Sonoma worth $81,467,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WSM. True Wealth Design LLC grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 111.8% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 144 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 66.7% in the 3rd quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 220 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 57.2% in the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 228 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the period. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $48,000. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company's stock.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

Shares of Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $193.31 on Tuesday. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $195.47 and its 200-day simple moving average is $192.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.01 billion, a PE ratio of 21.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 1.58. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1-year low of $134.44 and a 1-year high of $222.00.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 18th. The specialty retailer reported $3.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $2.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.41 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.94% and a return on equity of 51.45%. The company's revenue was down 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.28 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 EPS for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. This is a boost from Williams-Sonoma's previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio is 29.83%.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction 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 owned 806,537 shares in the company, valued at approximately $167,267,708.43. The trade was a 4.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 2,267 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $192.49, for a total transaction of $436,374.83. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 23,351 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,494,833.99. This trade represents a 8.85% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 92,137 shares of company stock worth $17,684,631 in the last 90 days. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on WSM shares. 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. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $180.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $188.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $235.00 to $225.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $210.50.

Williams-Sonoma Profile

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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