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1.
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NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS
I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)
AllianceBernstein L.P.
13-4064930
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2.
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CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) [ ]
(b) [X]
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3.
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SEC USE ONLY
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4.
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CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Delaware
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NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH
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5. SOLE VOTING POWER
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1,374,956
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6. SHARED VOTING POWER
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0
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7. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
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1,640,090
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8. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
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37,034
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9.
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AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
1,677,124
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10.
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CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
[X]
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11.
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PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)
3.6%
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12.
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TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
IA
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Item 1.
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(a)
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Name of Issuer
Sotheby's
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(b)
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Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices
1334 York Avenue, New York
NY
10021, United States of America
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Item 2.
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(a)
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Name of Person Filing
AllianceBernstein L.P.
("AllianceBernstein L.P.")
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(b)
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Address of Principal Business Office or, if None, Residence
1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York
NY
10105
All media outlets, please contact Andrea Prochniak at AllianceBernstein (212-756-4542) with any questions. All other questions can be directed to Section13USFilings@alliancebernstein.com.
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(c)
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Citizenship
Delaware
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(d)
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Title of Class of Securities
Common Stock
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(e)
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CUSIP Number
835898107
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Item 3.
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If This Statement is Filed Pursuant to
Rule 13d-1(b), or 13d-2(b) or (c),
Check Whether the Person Filing is a:
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(a)
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[ ]
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Broker or dealer registered under Section 15 of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78o).
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(b)
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[ ]
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Bank as defined in Section 3(a)(6) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c).
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(c)
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[ ]
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Insurance Company as defined in Section 3(a)(19) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c).
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(d)
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[ ]
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Investment Company registered under
Section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940
(15 U.S.C. 80a-8).
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(e)
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[X]
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An investment adviser in accordance with
Rule 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E);
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(f)
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[ ]
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An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with
Rule 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F);
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(g)
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[ ]
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A parent holding company or control person in accordance with
Rule 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G);
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(h)
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[ ]
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A savings association as defined in
Section 3(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act
(12 U.S.C. 1813);
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(i)
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[ ]
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A church plan that is excluded from the
definition of an investment company under
Section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act
of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-3);
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(j)
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[ ]
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Group, in accordance with Rule 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J).
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Item 4.
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Ownership.
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Provide the following information regarding the aggregate number and
percentage of the class of securities of the issuer identified in Item 1.
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(a)
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Amount Beneficially Owned:
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1,677,124
shares acquired solely for investment purposes on behalf of client discretionary investment advisory accounts.*
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(b)
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Percent of Class:
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3.6%
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(c)
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Number of shares as to which such person has:
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(i)
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sole power to vote or to direct the vote
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1,374,956
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(ii)
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shared power to vote or to direct the vote
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0
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(iii)
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sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of
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1,640,090
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(iv)
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shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of
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37,034
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*AllianceBernstein L.P. is a majority owned subsidiary of AXA Equitable Holdings, Inc.
and an indirect majority owned subsidiary of AXA SA. AllianceBernstein operates
under independent management and makes independent decisions from AXA and AXA Equitable Holdings
and their respective subsidiaries and AXA and AXA Equitable Holdings calculate
and report beneficial ownership separately from AllianceBernstein pursuant to
guidance provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission in
Release Number 34-39538 (January 12, 1998).
AllianceBernstein may be deemed to share beneficial ownership with AXA reporting
persons by virtue of
37,034
shares of common stock acquired on behalf of the general
and special accounts of the affiliated entities for which AllianceBernstein serves as
a subadvisor. Each of AllianceBernstein and the AXA entities reporting herein acquired
their shares of common stock for investment purposes in the ordinary course of their
investment management and insurance businesses.
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Item 5.
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Ownership of Five Percent or Less of Class.
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If this statement is being filed to report the fact that
as of the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to
be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the
class of securities, check the following:
[
X
]
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Item 6.
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Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person.
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Not Applicable
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Item 7.
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Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired
the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding Company.
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Not Applicable
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Item 8.
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Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.
Not Applicable. This schedule is not being filed pursuant to
Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J) or Rule 13d-1(d).
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Item 9.
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Notice of Dissolution of Group.
Not Applicable
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Item 10.
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Certification.
By signing below I certify that, to the best
of my knowledge and belief, the securities
referred to above
were acquired and are held
in the ordinary course of business and
were not acquired and are not held for the purpose
of or with the effect of changing or
influencing the control of the issuer of the
securities and were not acquired and are not held
in connection with or as a participant in any
transaction having that purpose or effect.
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