Level Four Advisory Services LLC Cuts Position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Level Four Advisory Services LLC lowered its position in Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 10.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 31,224 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 3,749 shares during the quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $6,103,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 22.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,742 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,248,000 after purchasing an additional 1,236 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter worth about $227,000. Woodline Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 1st quarter worth about $1,644,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 56.1% in the 2nd quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 4,207 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $687,000 after acquiring an additional 1,512 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Keybank National Association OH raised its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 20.3% during the 2nd quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 4,365 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $713,000 after acquiring an additional 737 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of WSM opened at $199.16 on Wednesday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $130.07 and a fifty-two week high of $222.00. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $204.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $195.85. The company has a market capitalization of $23.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 1.64.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 806,537 shares in the company, valued at $167,267,708.43. This trade represents a 4.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale 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 Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 13,236 shares in the company, valued at $2,715,497.76. This represents a 5.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WSM has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Zelman & Associates upgraded shares of 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. Telsey Advisory Group dropped their target price 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. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Williams-Sonoma from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, UBS Group set a $175.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $202.11.

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.