Leonard Green & Partners L.P. Sells 2,224,030 Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Key Points

• Leonard Green & Partners cut its stake in Williams‑Sonoma by 69%, selling 2,224,030 shares in Q3 and retaining 1,000,000 shares (~0.82% of WSM) worth about $195.45 million, making WSM its 4th-largest holding (7.4% of the fund).
• Analyst sentiment is positive-to-neutral: the stock carries a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a consensus price target of $203.78 after several upgrades and target revisions in recent months.
• Williams‑Sonoma pays a quarterly dividend of $0.66 (annualized $2.64, yield ~1.4%) and has seen insider selling, including CEO Laura Alber's sale of 35,000 shares (~$7.26 million), with insider ownership at about 1.10%.

Leonard Green & Partners L.P. cut its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 69.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,000,000 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 2,224,030 shares during the period. Williams-Sonoma comprises about 7.4% of Leonard Green & Partners L.P.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Leonard Green & Partners L.P. owned approximately 0.82% of Williams-Sonoma worth $195,450,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of WSM. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 1,236 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $227,000. Woodline Partners LP purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,644,000. Allworth Financial LP grew its position 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 worth $111,000 after buying an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey grew its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 1.9% during the second quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 17,981 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $2,938,000 after buying an additional 333 shares in the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Zelman & Associates raised shares of Williams-Sonoma from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $205.00 price target on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Williams-Sonoma from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. UBS Group boosted 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. Telsey Advisory Group restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $220.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Evercore set a $215.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $203.78.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Up 1.3%

WSM opened at $182.37 on Tuesday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $204.79 and its 200 day moving average price is $195.15. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $130.07 and a fifty-two week high of $222.00. The firm has a market cap of $21.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.64.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 16th were given a dividend of $0.66 per share. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 16th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.16, for a total value of $157,357.72. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 13,236 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,715,497.76. This trade represents a 5.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, 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 value of $7,258,650.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 806,537 shares of the company's stock, valued at $167,267,708.43. This represents a 4.16% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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