Alberta Investment Management Corp Sells 2,700 Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Alberta Investment Management Corp reduced its stake in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 9.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 24,600 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 2,700 shares during the period. Alberta Investment Management Corp’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $4,808,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of WSM. True Wealth Design LLC raised its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 111.8% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 144 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its position 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 worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its stake 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 purchasing an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the third quarter valued at about $48,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 1,236.8% in the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 254 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 235 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In other news, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.39, for a total value of $7,258,650.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $205.16, for a total value of $157,357.72. Following the completion of 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 65,767 shares of company stock worth $12,802,440. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Down 1.5%

Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $210.85 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $201.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $195.75. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a twelve month low of $130.07 and a twelve month high of $221.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.20, a PEG ratio of 3.20 and a beta of 1.64.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The specialty retailer reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.86 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.30% and a return on equity of 53.10%. The business’s revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.96 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 16th will be given a $0.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 16th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.04%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. UBS Group set a $175.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Williams-Sonoma from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Telsey Advisory Group reduced their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Zelman & Associates upgraded Williams-Sonoma from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $205.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $245.00 price objective (up from $210.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Williams-Sonoma has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $202.11.

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.