Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Price Target Raised to $260.00 at Royal Bank Of Canada

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) had its price objective upped by Royal Bank Of Canada from $192.00 to $260.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the specialty retailer’s stock.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $261.00 price target (up from $230.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Tuesday. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Monday. Morgan Stanley set a $210.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Argus set a $230.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, May 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $231.88.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of WSM stock opened at $241.33 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $229.71 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $206.58. Williams-Sonoma has a 12-month low of $165.51 and a 12-month high of $254.89. The firm has a market cap of $28.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.50.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.29% and a net margin of 13.81%.The company’s revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.85 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma will post 9.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is presently 34.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $3,000,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 923,524 shares in the company, valued at $184,704,800. This represents a 1.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.39, for a total transaction of $128,615.58. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,195 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,975,846.05. The trade was a 2.52% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 18,156 shares of company stock valued at $3,738,699. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp increased its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. MidFirst Bank bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Ballast Advisors LLC bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC lifted 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 buying an additional 117 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.