Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Reaches New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $222.00 and last traded at $213.5350, with a volume of 301103 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $210.82.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on WSM shares. Weiss Ratings raised Williams-Sonoma from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday. Zelman & Associates upgraded Williams-Sonoma from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $205.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $202.00 to $188.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $245.00 price target (up from $210.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $202.11.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Up 2.1%

The stock has a market capitalization of $25.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 1.64. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $202.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $195.79.

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

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, January 16th were issued a $0.66 dividend. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 16th. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.04%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 806,537 shares in the company, valued at $167,267,708.43. The trade was a 4.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 65,767 shares of company stock worth $12,802,440 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 22.4% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,742 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,248,000 after buying an additional 1,236 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter worth about $227,000. Woodline Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,644,000. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 2nd quarter valued at about $201,000. Finally, Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC grew its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 10.6% during the second quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 1,643 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $268,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares during the period. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.