Insider Selling: Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Director Sells $200,199.16 in Stock

Key Points

• Director Anne Finucane sold 794 Williams-Sonoma shares for approximately $200,199 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, reducing her direct holdings by 7.79% to 9,404 shares.
• Williams-Sonoma shares fell 0.9% to $249.88, near the company’s 52-week high, while the retailer reported quarterly revenue growth of 6.7% and earnings that narrowly exceeded analyst expectations.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, equivalent to a $3.04 annualized payout and a 1.2% yield; analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with a $245.56 price target.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) Director Anne Finucane sold 794 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $252.14, for a total value of $200,199.16. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 9,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,371,124.56. This represents a 7.79% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 0.9%

WSM stock traded down $2.15 during trading on Friday, hitting $249.88. The company had a trading volume of 1,808,408 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,156,747. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $234.11 and a 200-day moving average price of $216.71. The firm has a market cap of $29.43 billion, a PE ratio of 25.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 1.48. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1-year low of $165.51 and a 1-year high of $255.33.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.48% and a net margin of 14.73%. The company had revenue of $1.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.93 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.00 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared 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%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WSM. IMG Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter worth $35,000. Ballast Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the first quarter valued at $30,000. MidFirst Bank acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC grew its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% in the first quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 168 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WSM has been the topic of several recent research reports. Evercore set a $245.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Argus upped their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Williams-Sonoma from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Monday, August 31st. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday. Finally, Seaport Research Partners reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Williams-Sonoma currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $245.56.

About Williams-Sonoma

Williams-Sonoma, Inc is an omnichannel specialty retailer focused on home furnishings, décor, kitchenware and related lifestyle products. The company operates a portfolio of brands that includes Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Teen, West Elm, Williams Sonoma Home and Mark & Graham.

Its products include cookware, cutlery, appliances, tabletop goods, furniture, bedding, bath products, lighting, rugs, textiles, decorative accessories, gifts and personalized items.

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