Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) EVP Karalyn Yearout Sells 767 Shares

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.16, for a total transaction of $157,357.72. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 13,236 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,715,497.76. The trade was a 5.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Up 0.8%

Williams-Sonoma stock traded up $1.71 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $211.71. 1,031,091 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,196,816. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1-year low of $130.07 and a 1-year high of $219.98. The firm has a market cap of $25.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.29, a P/E/G ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 1.58. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $187.02 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $189.54.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 19th. The specialty retailer reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.09. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.30% and a return on equity of 53.10%. The business had revenue of $1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.86 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.96 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 16th will be given a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 16th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.04%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. TD Cowen decreased their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $210.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. UBS Group set a $175.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective 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. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $202.00 to $188.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $198.71.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WSM. Boston Partners purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $254,778,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 2nd quarter valued at $212,107,000. Voya Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 184.3% in the third quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 861,236 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $167,927,000 after purchasing an additional 558,311 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 30.7% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,269,461 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $443,566,000 after buying an additional 532,995 shares during the period. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 740.4% during the second quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 591,690 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $96,664,000 after buying an additional 521,283 shares in the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.