Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) EVP Karalyn Yearout Sells 2,267 Shares

Key Points

• EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 2,267 shares on April 8 at an average price of $192.49 for about $436,375 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, trimming her stake by 8.85% to 23,351 shares (≈$4.495M).
• Williams‑Sonoma beat EPS expectations with $3.04 for the quarter while revenue fell 4.3% YoY to $2.36B, and the company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.76 (annualized $3.04, yield 1.6%).
• The stock traded around $189.20 with a market cap of $22.52B, and analysts hold a consensus Moderate Buy rating with an average price target of $209.56.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 2,267 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $192.49, for a total transaction of $436,374.83. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 23,351 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,494,833.99. This trade represents a 8.85% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

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

• On Wednesday, January 14th, Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.16, for a total transaction of $157,357.72.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Williams-Sonoma stock traded down $2.11 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $189.20. The company's stock had a trading volume of 794,362 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,184,882. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 12-month low of $134.44 and a 12-month high of $222.00. The company has a market capitalization of $22.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.38, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.58. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $196.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $193.18.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 18th. The specialty retailer reported $3.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $0.14. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 51.45% and a net margin of 13.94%.The firm had revenue of $2.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.41 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.28 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 17th will be paid a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. This is an increase from Williams-Sonoma's previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio is 29.83%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WSM. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp grew its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% in the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,878 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $514,000 after buying an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 25.1% during the 3rd quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC now owns 274 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 10,438 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,864,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mutual Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 1,381 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $247,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WSM has been the topic of several analyst reports. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $220.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $180.00 to $186.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Zelman & Associates raised shares of Williams-Sonoma from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $205.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Williams-Sonoma from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $209.56.

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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