Williams-Sonoma Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:WSM)

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) saw some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Investors purchased 2,323 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 162% compared to the typical daily volume of 885 call options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on WSM shares. Evercore ISI raised their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. TD Cowen reduced their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $210.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. 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 note on Friday, November 21st. Telsey Advisory Group cut their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised 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. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $198.71.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Laura Alber sold 12,161 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $181.07, for a total transaction of $2,201,992.27. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 846,927 shares in the company, valued at approximately $153,353,071.89. This represents a 1.42% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WSM. Maseco LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 111.8% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 144 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 130.8% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 180 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the period. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 3rd quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 66.7% during the 3rd quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 220 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $197.82 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $23.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 1.58. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $185.84 and a two-hundred day moving average of $187.95. Williams-Sonoma has a 1 year low of $130.07 and a 1 year high of $219.98.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The specialty retailer reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.86 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.30% and a return on equity of 53.10%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.96 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, January 16th will be issued a $0.66 dividend. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 16th. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is presently 29.04%.

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.