Robert W. Baird Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Stock Price

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) had its price objective cut by analysts at Robert W. Baird from $235.00 to $225.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the specialty retailer’s stock. Robert W. Baird’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 26.19% from the company’s current price.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Evercore set a $215.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Weiss Ratings raised Williams-Sonoma from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $220.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Thursday, March 12th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $245.00 price objective (up from $210.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $188.00 to $208.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $209.56.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

NYSE WSM opened at $178.31 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $203.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $194.88. The stock has a market cap of $21.29 billion, a PE ratio of 20.15, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.64. Williams-Sonoma has a fifty-two week low of $130.07 and a fifty-two week high of $222.00.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 18th. The specialty retailer reported $3.04 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $0.14. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 51.45% and a net margin of 13.94%.The company had revenue of $2.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.41 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.28 EPS. Williams-Sonoma’s revenue was down 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.16, for a total value of $157,357.72. Following the transaction, 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.04, for a total value of $3,660,800.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 786,537 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $143,967,732.48. This represents a 2.48% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 55,767 shares of company stock worth $11,076,808. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC raised its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 37.9% in the third quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 16,398 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $3,205,000 after purchasing an additional 4,510 shares during the last quarter. EFG Asset Management North America Corp. boosted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% during the third quarter. EFG Asset Management North America Corp. now owns 14,593 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $2,852,000 after purchasing an additional 4,961 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 30.2% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 997,414 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $194,947,000 after purchasing an additional 231,489 shares during the last quarter. Berry Wealth Group LP bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 2nd quarter worth about $230,000. Finally, Vest Financial LLC grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 39.5% in the 3rd quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 282,503 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $55,215,000 after purchasing an additional 80,044 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Williams-Sonoma this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat and upbeat guidance — WSM reported $3.04 GAAP EPS (above estimates) and provided a constructive fiscal‑2026 outlook that reassured investors about margins and comps. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase — The board approved a ~15% quarterly dividend raise to $0.76, signaling confidence in cash flow and returning capital to shareholders. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness from some firms — TD Cowen reiterated/maintained a Buy and several firms (RBC, others) raised targets after the quarter, providing upside case support. Read More. and Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Small analyst target lift but cautious rating — Barclays raised its target to $186 but kept an “equal weight” rating, implying only modest upside from current levels. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and YoY decline — Net sales of $2.36B missed consensus (~$2.41B) and were down year‑over‑year, which tempers enthusiasm despite the EPS beat. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Tariffs and margin pressure remain a risk — Management cited tariffs and cost pressures that compress margins even as the company mitigates much of the impact; this remains a watch‑item for investors. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares (~$3.66M), a modest reduction in her stake that some investors view as a cautionary signal. Read More.

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.