Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts rate Williams-Sonoma “Moderate Buy.” Of 17 analysts, seven recommend buying, one strongly recommends buying and nine rate the stock a hold; the average 12-month price target is $213.13.
• Williams-Sonoma reported quarterly EPS of $1.93, beating estimates of $1.80, while revenue rose 4.4% year over year to $1.81 billion, slightly ahead of expectations.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, equivalent to $3.04 annually and a 1.3% yield. Shares opened at $226.41, near the upper end of their 52-week range.

Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the seventeen research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $213.1250.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on WSM. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Williams-Sonoma from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price target for the company from $185.00 to $218.00 in a report on Monday, April 13th. Evercore set a $200.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Morgan Stanley set a $210.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Citigroup lowered their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $208.00 to $200.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $225.00 price target (up from $220.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, May 22nd.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $226.41 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $26.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.49. Williams-Sonoma has a 1-year low of $165.51 and a 1-year high of $244.65. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $215.79 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $202.70.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.80 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. Williams-Sonoma's quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.85 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma will post 9.39 EPS for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 17th will be given a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.04%.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In other news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $254,080.88. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 21,717 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,962,117.33. This represents a 4.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.61, for a total transaction of $3,452,200.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 938,524 shares in the company, valued at $161,998,627.64. This trade represents a 2.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 36,634 shares of company stock valued at $6,812,283. Insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Aristotle Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 22.0% in the 1st quarter. Aristotle Capital Management LLC now owns 11,140,471 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $2,031,242,000 after buying an additional 2,009,032 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 2.5% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,139,477 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,199,961,000 after acquiring an additional 147,780 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 9.2% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,664,580 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $485,833,000 after acquiring an additional 224,128 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,919,466 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $342,797,000 after acquiring an additional 130,940 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter valued at $316,920,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company's stock.

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.

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