Karalyn Yearout Sells 767 Shares of Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Stock

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 13,236 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,715,497.76. This represents a 5.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

WSM opened at $211.71 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.29, a PEG ratio of 3.31 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a fifty day moving average of $187.31 and a 200 day moving average of $190.02. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $130.07 and a fifty-two week high of $219.98.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The specialty retailer reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.86 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.30% and a return on equity of 53.10%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.96 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 16th will be given a dividend of $0.66 per share. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 16th. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.04%.

Institutional Trading of Williams-Sonoma

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. State Street Corp grew its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 2.5% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,139,477 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,199,961,000 after purchasing an additional 147,780 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 30.7% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,269,461 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $443,566,000 after buying an additional 532,995 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 30.6% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,741,639 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $284,532,000 after buying an additional 407,929 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the third quarter valued at $254,778,000. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the second quarter valued at about $212,107,000. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WSM has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Telsey Advisory Group lowered their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. TD Cowen cut their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $210.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $198.71.

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.