Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM Shares Acquired by First Trust Advisors LP

First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 30.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,269,461 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 532,995 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $443,566,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC increased its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 37.9% during the third 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 period. EFG Asset Management North America Corp. boosted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% in the third quarter. EFG Asset Management North America Corp. now owns 14,593 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $2,852,000 after purchasing an additional 4,961 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 30.2% during 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 in the last quarter. Berry Wealth Group LP acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the 2nd quarter worth $230,000. Finally, Vest Financial LLC increased its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 39.5% during the 3rd quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 282,503 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $55,215,000 after purchasing an additional 80,044 shares during the period. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on WSM. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $245.00 price target (up from $210.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Telsey Advisory Group dropped their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $188.00 to $208.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Evercore set a $215.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. One research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $203.22.

Insider Buying and Selling at Williams-Sonoma

In other Williams-Sonoma news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 13,236 shares in the company, valued at $2,715,497.76. This represents a 5.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the firm’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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 806,537 shares in the company, valued at approximately $167,267,708.43. The trade was a 4.16% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 3.5%

WSM stock opened at $186.77 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $204.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $195.73. The stock has a market cap of $22.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.55, a PEG ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.64. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $130.07 and a fifty-two week high of $222.00.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 16th. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is currently 29.04%.

Williams-Sonoma Company 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.