Clark Capital Management Group Inc. Sells 55,802 Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Key Points

• Clark Capital Management Group trimmed its Williams‑Sonoma stake by 14.1%, selling 55,802 shares in Q3 and leaving 339,864 shares valued at about $66.43 million (≈0.28% of the company).
• Insiders have been selling too: EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares and CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares for roughly $7.26 million, cutting insider ownership to about 1.10%.
• Analysts show a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $203.78; Williams‑Sonoma has a $21.5B market cap, a P/E near 19.8, and pays a $0.66 quarterly dividend (≈1.5% yield).

Clark Capital Management Group Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 14.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 339,864 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 55,802 shares during the quarter. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. owned approximately 0.28% of Williams-Sonoma worth $66,426,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of WSM. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC increased its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 37.9% in the 3rd quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 16,398 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $3,205,000 after acquiring an additional 4,510 shares during the last quarter. EFG Asset Management North America Corp. raised its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% during the third quarter. EFG Asset Management North America Corp. now owns 14,593 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $2,852,000 after acquiring an additional 4,961 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Williams-Sonoma by 30.2% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 997,414 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $194,947,000 after purchasing an additional 231,489 shares during the period. Berry Wealth Group LP bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 2nd quarter valued at about $230,000. Finally, Vest Financial LLC lifted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 39.5% in the third quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 282,503 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $55,215,000 after purchasing an additional 80,044 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

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

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $180.24 on Friday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $130.07 and a fifty-two week high of $222.00. The company has a market capitalization of $21.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a fifty day moving average of $204.98 and a 200 day moving average of $195.17.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 16th were paid a $0.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 16th. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio is 29.04%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. UBS Group upped their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $220.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday. Zelman & Associates upgraded shares of Williams-Sonoma from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $205.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $188.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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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