Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) Stock Has Average Target Price of $247.89 According to Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is moderately positive: 10 of 18 brokerages rate Williams-Sonoma a buy and eight recommend hold; the average 12-month price target is $247.89.
• The retailer beat quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $2.10 versus $2.08 expected and revenue of $1.96 billion versus $1.93 billion expected. Revenue rose 6.7% year over year.
• Williams-Sonoma announced a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, equivalent to $3.04 annually and a 1.2% yield.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the eighteen brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $247.89.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on WSM. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $259.00 price objective (down from $260.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Telsey Advisory Group set a $260.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Seaport Research Partners restated a "buy" rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group set a $261.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, August 24th.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 2.3%

WSM stock opened at $253.45 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $237.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $215.25. Williams-Sonoma has a twelve month low of $165.51 and a twelve month high of $263.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.85 billion, a PE ratio of 25.94, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.49.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.02. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.73% and a return on equity of 53.48%. The firm had revenue of $1.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.93 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.00 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma will post 9.50 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 20th. Investors of record on Friday, October 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 16th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Williams-Sonoma

In other Williams-Sonoma news, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.20, for a total value of $7,742,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 853,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at $188,799,508.80. The trade was a 3.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Anne A. Finucane sold 794 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.14, for a total value of $200,199.16. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 9,404 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,371,124.56. The trade was a 7.79% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 39,883 shares of company stock worth $8,867,518 in the last 90 days. 1.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WSM. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,656,062,000. Aristotle Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 22.0% in the first quarter. Aristotle Capital Management LLC now owns 11,140,471 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $2,031,242,000 after purchasing an additional 2,009,032 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 1.9% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,906,785 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,376,872,000 after purchasing an additional 112,683 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 9.2% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,664,580 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $485,833,000 after purchasing an additional 224,128 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 1.4% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,479,064 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $269,640,000 after buying an additional 20,886 shares during the period. 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 home furnishings, décor, kitchenware and related products. The company operates a portfolio of lifestyle brands, including Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Pottery Barn Kids, Rejuvenation and Mark & Graham.

Its products include cookware, tableware, appliances, furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, home accessories, gifts and personalized merchandise. Williams-Sonoma reaches customers through e-commerce websites, retail stores, catalogs and trade and contract sales, serving both individual consumers and professional customers such as interior designers and hospitality businesses.

Founded in 1956 by Chuck Williams, the company began as a retailer specializing in high-quality French cookware before expanding into a broader home-focused portfolio.

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