Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zelman & Associates

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) was upgraded by equities researchers at Zelman & Associates from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage presently has a $205.00 price target on the specialty retailer’s stock. Zelman & Associates’ price target would suggest a potential upside of 0.18% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Citigroup decreased their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $202.00 to $188.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. UBS Group set a $175.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Telsey Advisory Group cut their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $201.00.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 0.5%

NYSE:WSM opened at $204.64 on Thursday. Williams-Sonoma has a 52 week low of $130.07 and a 52 week high of $219.54. The company has a market capitalization of $24.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.51, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 1.58. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $192.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is $192.34.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Williams-Sonoma news, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.39, for a total transaction of $7,258,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 806,537 shares in the company, valued at $167,267,708.43. The trade was a 4.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were 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 owned 13,236 shares in the company, valued at $2,715,497.76. The trade was a 5.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 65,767 shares of company stock valued at $12,802,440 in the last quarter. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. True Wealth Design LLC raised its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 111.8% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 144 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 130.8% in the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 180 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 66.7% during the third quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 220 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 57.2% during the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 228 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Williams-Sonoma

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.