Karalyn Yearout Sells 1,000 Shares of Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Stock

Key Points

• Executive sale: Williams-Sonoma EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,000 shares at an average $250 each, generating $250,000. The transaction was conducted under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, leaving her with 20,717 shares.
• Stock and financial performance: WSM recently traded at $246.57, near its 52-week high of $252.99. The company beat quarterly earnings expectations with $1.93 EPS and $1.81 billion in revenue, up 4.4% year over year.
• Investor outlook: Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, although the average price target of $217.82 is below the current share price. Williams-Sonoma also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, implying a 1.2% annual yield.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $250,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,717 shares in the company, valued at $5,179,250. This trade represents a 4.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Karalyn Yearout also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, June 15th, Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $254,080.88.
• On Monday, June 8th, Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.07, for a total transaction of $106,002.54.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WSM traded down $1.67 during trading on Thursday, reaching $246.57. 950,010 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,156,530. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $223.87 and a two-hundred day moving average of $204.73. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52-week low of $165.51 and a 52-week high of $252.99. The stock has a market cap of $29.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.50.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.85 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio is presently 34.04%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Piper Sandler started coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, July 27th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $253.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Williams-Sonoma from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Barclays set a $190.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group restated an "outperform" rating and set a $225.00 price objective (up from $220.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Bank of America began coverage on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, June 12th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $217.82.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp increased its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% during the fourth quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. MidFirst Bank purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Ballast Advisors LLC bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the first quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC raised its position in Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% in the first quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 168 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares during the period. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Williams-Sonoma

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.

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