Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Stock Rating Upgraded by Piper Sandler

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Piper Sandler to a "strong-buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts also recently commented on WSM. KeyCorp increased their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Barclays set a $190.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Bank of America initiated coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, June 12th. They set a "buy" rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. Evercore set a $200.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Argus set a $230.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, May 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $215.47.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $234.45 on Monday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $217.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $202.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.61 billion, a PE ratio of 26.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.49. Williams-Sonoma has a 52-week low of $165.51 and a 52-week high of $244.65.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion for 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%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.85 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma will post 9.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Williams-Sonoma

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

Institutional Trading of Williams-Sonoma

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp grew its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% during the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. MidFirst Bank bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Ballast Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC increased its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% in the 1st quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 168 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company's stock.

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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