Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Shares Acquired by Gotham Asset Management LLC

Key Points

• Gotham Asset Management increased its stake in Williams‑Sonoma by 7.5% in Q3 to 184,595 shares (0.15% of the company) valued at about $36.08 million, while institutional investors own roughly 99.29% of the stock.
• CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares on Jan 15 at an average $207.39 for ~$7.26 million (EVP Karalyn Yearout also sold 767 shares), reducing their insider holdings; insiders now own about 1.10% of WSM.
• Analysts' consensus is a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $203.78 and mixed recent upgrades; the stock trades near $180.24 with a market cap of $21.52B, P/E of 19.83, and a quarterly dividend of $0.66 (1.5% yield).

Gotham Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Free Report) by 7.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 184,595 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 12,871 shares during the period. Gotham Asset Management LLC owned 0.15% of Williams-Sonoma worth $36,079,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of WSM. True Wealth Design LLC raised its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 111.8% during the third 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. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 130.8% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 180 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the period. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its stake in shares of 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 valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 57.2% during the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 228 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $48,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Williams-Sonoma news, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the 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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 806,537 shares in the company, valued at $167,267,708.43. This represents a 4.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the firm'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 directly owned 13,236 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,715,497.76. This represents a 5.48% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on WSM shares. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $220.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Thursday. Evercore set a $215.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $188.00 to $208.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Zelman & Associates raised Williams-Sonoma from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $205.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $245.00 price target (up from $210.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $203.78.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of WSM opened at $180.24 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.52 billion, a PE ratio of 19.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.64. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1 year low of $130.07 and a 1 year high of $222.00. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $204.98 and its 200-day simple moving average is $195.19.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

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

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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