Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) CEO Laura Alber Sells 15,000 Shares of Stock

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSMGet Free Report) CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $3,000,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 923,524 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $184,704,800. This trade represents a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Laura Alber also recently made the following trade(s):

  • On Thursday, May 14th, Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.61, for a total value of $3,452,200.00.
  • On Friday, April 17th, Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $3,000,000.00.
  • On Monday, March 16th, Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.04, for a total value of $3,660,800.00.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 0.8%

WSM stock opened at $203.89 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $24.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.83, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.49. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $185.98 and a 200-day simple moving average of $191.90. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52 week low of $152.20 and a 52 week high of $222.00.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSMGet Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.80 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.29% and a net margin of 13.81%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.85 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 17th were issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 17th. This is a positive change from Williams-Sonoma’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is currently 29.56%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on WSM. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $235.00 to $225.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $192.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $208.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Argus set a $230.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $209.06.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on Williams-Sonoma

Institutional Trading of Williams-Sonoma

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Aristotle Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 22.0% in the 1st quarter. Aristotle Capital Management LLC now owns 11,140,471 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $2,031,242,000 after buying an additional 2,009,032 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter valued at about $316,920,000. Boston Partners purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter valued at about $254,778,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 102.8% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,108,589 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $202,129,000 after buying an additional 561,977 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 30.7% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,269,461 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $443,566,000 after buying an additional 532,995 shares during the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Williams-Sonoma

(Get Free Report)

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.

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Insider Buying and Selling by Quarter for Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM)

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