Wakefield Asset Management LLLP Takes $488,000 Position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM)

Wakefield Asset Management LLLP bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm bought 2,634 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $488,000.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Smithfield Trust Co grew its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 160 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Cassady Schiller Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Cassady Schiller Wealth Management LLC now owns 166 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the period. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. HM Payson & Co. raised its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 200 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sittner & Nelson LLC grew its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Sittner & Nelson LLC now owns 200 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $194.00 to $226.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. Loop Capital upped their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $145.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $170.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $170.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Wedbush lifted their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $135.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $172.34.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 3.1 %

Shares of Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $192.16 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $23.65 billion, a PE ratio of 22.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.79. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $115.41 and a fifty-two week high of $219.98. The business’s fifty day moving average is $201.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $167.62.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Friday, January 17th were paid a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 17th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.19%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.98%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Williams-Sonoma news, CEO Laura Alber sold 45,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.76, for a total transaction of $9,349,200.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 944,666 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $196,263,808.16. The trade was a 4.55 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 3,160 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $177.39, for a total value of $560,552.40. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 46,388 shares in the company, valued at $8,228,767.32. This trade represents a 6.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Williams-Sonoma

Williams-Sonoma, Inc operates as an omni-channel specialty retailer of various products for home. It offers cooking, dining, and entertaining products, such as cookware, tools, electrics, cutlery, tabletop and bar, outdoor, furniture, and a library of cookbooks under the Williams Sonoma Home brand, as well as home furnishings and decorative accessories under the Williams Sonoma lifestyle brand; and furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, table essentials, and decorative accessories under the Pottery Barn brand.