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

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $3,000,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 923,524 shares in the company, valued at $184,704,800. The trade was a 1.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a 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 shares were sold at an average price of $183.04, for a total value of $3,660,800.00.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 0.8%

NYSE:WSM opened at $203.89 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $185.98 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $191.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.49. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 12-month low of $152.20 and a 12-month high of $222.00.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.85 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.31 EPS for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Increases Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WSM has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Evercore set a $200.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Citigroup lowered their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $208.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. TD Cowen lowered their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $250.00 to $225.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $235.00 to $225.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $209.06.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% during the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. MidFirst Bank acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% during the first quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 168 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

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.