Laura Alber Sells 20,000 Shares of Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Stock

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 786,537 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $143,967,732.48. This trade represents a 2.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Laura Alber also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, January 15th, Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.39, for a total transaction of $7,258,650.00.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

NYSE:WSM opened at $182.17 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $204.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $194.95. The company has a market capitalization of $21.75 billion, a PE ratio of 20.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.64. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1-year low of $130.07 and a 1-year high of $222.00.

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

Williams-Sonoma Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.76 per share. This is a positive change from Williams-Sonoma’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 17th. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is 29.83%.

Trending Headlines about Williams-Sonoma

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 profit beat and operating strength — WSM reported GAAP EPS of $3.04, beating estimates, and showed industry‑leading margins and operating leverage that underpin profitability. Business Wire: Results
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend raised — the board increased the quarterly dividend ~15% to $0.76, signaling confidence in cash flow and returning capital to shareholders. Benzinga: Dividend Hike
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support persists — several firms reiterated/raised ratings or kept Buy/Outperform stances (TD Cowen, RBC, Baird remain constructive), giving upside price‑target commentary despite some mix of revisions. TipRanks: Analyst Notes
• Neutral Sentiment: Management outlook is upbeat but execution‑dependent — guidance calls for mid‑single‑digit comp growth and modest revenue expansion; investors will watch comps, margins and macro sensitivity. WSJ: Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and YoY sales decline — Q4 revenue of ~$2.36B missed consensus and was down ~4% y/y, which tempers the EPS beat and raises top‑line concerns. MarketBeat: Earnings Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Post‑earnings analyst trims and tariff/housing headwinds — some analysts trimmed targets and flagged tariffs and a soft housing backdrop as margin and demand risks. Benzinga: Analyst Revisions
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — CEO Laura Alber sold ~20,000 shares (~$3.66M), which some investors interpret as a cautionary signal (though the sale is small relative to her holding). SEC Form 4

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WSM. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter valued at $316,920,000. Boston Partners purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the third quarter worth $254,778,000. Voya Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 184.3% in the third quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 861,236 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $167,927,000 after purchasing an additional 558,311 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 30.7% during the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,269,461 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $443,566,000 after purchasing an additional 532,995 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 86.0% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,117,119 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $199,506,000 after purchasing an additional 516,593 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on WSM. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $235.00 to $225.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Citigroup raised their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $188.00 to $208.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Williams-Sonoma from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $206.00 to $214.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Evercore set a $215.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $208.31.

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.