Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) have earned an average rating of “Hold” from the nineteen research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $201.00.

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on WSM shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup reduced their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $202.00 to $188.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $245.00 price target (up from $210.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

WSM stock opened at $204.64 on Monday. Williams-Sonoma has a one year low of $130.07 and a one year high of $219.54. The firm has a market cap of $24.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.51, a PEG ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 1.64. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $192.17 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $192.73.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 19th. The specialty retailer reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.09. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.30% and a return on equity of 53.10%. The firm had revenue of $1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.86 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.96 EPS. Williams-Sonoma’s revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 16th will be issued a $0.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 16th. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Williams-Sonoma

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Interchange Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter worth approximately $213,000. Keybank National Association OH raised its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 3,900 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $696,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Vest Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 6.8% during the fourth quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 301,845 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $53,906,000 after purchasing an additional 19,342 shares during the last quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC lifted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 2,776 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $496,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. Finally, Certuity LLC boosted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 61.6% in the fourth quarter. Certuity LLC now owns 2,376 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $424,000 after purchasing an additional 906 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

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.