Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) EVP Karalyn Yearout Sells 522 Shares

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.07, for a total transaction of $106,002.54. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 22,829 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,635,885.03. This trade represents a 2.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

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

• On Wednesday, April 8th, Karalyn Yearout sold 2,267 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.49, for a total transaction of $436,374.83.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 2.6%

NYSE WSM opened at $207.57 on Thursday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52 week low of $152.20 and a 52 week high of $222.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.44 billion, a PE ratio of 23.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 1.51. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $190.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $193.22.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.13. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The company had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.85 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 17th were issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. This is a boost from Williams-Sonoma’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.56%.

Institutional Trading of Williams-Sonoma

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WSM. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp raised its position in Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% in the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC raised its position in Williams-Sonoma by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,878 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $514,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. raised its position in Williams-Sonoma by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 10,438 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,864,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC raised its position in Williams-Sonoma by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 1,381 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $247,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arjuna Capital raised its position in Williams-Sonoma by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Arjuna Capital now owns 3,564 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $636,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on WSM shares. Barclays set a $190.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report 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. Morgan Stanley set a $210.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Williams-Sonoma from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Williams-Sonoma currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $209.06.

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.