AustralianSuper Pty Ltd Takes $10.24 Million Position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

AustralianSuper Pty Ltd bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 52,375 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $10,237,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 111.8% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 144 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the period. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC grew its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 130.8% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 180 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake 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 acquiring an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 57.2% during the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 228 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the third quarter worth approximately $48,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group set a $175.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Telsey Advisory Group decreased 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 note on Thursday, November 20th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Evercore set a $215.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $202.00 to $188.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 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 MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $202.11.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $199.16 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $23.78 billion, a PE ratio of 21.91, a P/E/G ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $204.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $195.85. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a one year low of $130.07 and a one year high of $222.00.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 16th were issued a $0.66 dividend. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 16th. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is currently 29.04%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, 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 completion of 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. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the business’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 transaction of $157,357.72. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 13,236 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,715,497.76. This represents a 5.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

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.