Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) Sees Large Drop in Short Interest

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest during the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 7,272,142 shares, a decrease of 14.5% from the January 29th total of 8,508,416 shares. Currently, 6.2% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,040,725 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 7.0 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,040,725 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 7.0 days. Currently, 6.2% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on WSM shares. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and issued a $245.00 price objective (up from $210.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Williams-Sonoma from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. UBS Group set a $175.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $202.00 to $188.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $202.11.

Insider Buying and Selling at Williams-Sonoma

In other news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $205.16, for a total transaction of $157,357.72. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 13,236 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,715,497.76. The trade was a 5.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.39, for a total value of $7,258,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 806,537 shares in the company, valued at approximately $167,267,708.43. This represents a 4.16% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WSM. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 22.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,742 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,248,000 after purchasing an additional 1,236 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter worth about $227,000. Woodline Partners LP bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,644,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 56.1% during the 2nd quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 4,207 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $687,000 after acquiring an additional 1,512 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Keybank National Association OH grew its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 20.3% during the 2nd quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 4,365 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $713,000 after acquiring an additional 737 shares during the period. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WSM traded down $1.76 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $197.82. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 481,661 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,010,544. Williams-Sonoma has a 12 month low of $130.07 and a 12 month high of $222.00. The stock has a market cap of $23.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.76, a P/E/G ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 1.64. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $204.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $195.85.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, January 16th were paid a $0.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 16th. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.04%.

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.