Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the eighteen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $212.6471.

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on WSM shares. Bank of America started coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, June 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group raised their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $208.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Weiss Ratings cut Williams-Sonoma from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, Argus set a $230.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, May 29th.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of WSM opened at $218.90 on Thursday. Williams-Sonoma has a 12-month low of $161.76 and a 12-month high of $244.65. The business’s 50 day moving average is $205.32 and its 200 day moving average is $199.68. The company has a market capitalization of $25.78 billion, a PE ratio of 24.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.49.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.85 earnings per share. Williams-Sonoma’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma will post 9.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Friday, July 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.17%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Williams-Sonoma

In other news, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.61, for a total value of $3,452,200.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 938,524 shares in the company, valued at $161,998,627.64. The trade was a 2.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $254,080.88. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 21,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 have sold 51,634 shares of company stock valued at $9,812,283 in the last quarter. 1.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 7.1% in the 2nd quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,531 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $357,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 1,193.8% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 207 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 191 shares during the period. Czech National Bank lifted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 3.1% in the second quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 33,514 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $7,812,000 after buying an additional 1,001 shares during the last quarter. JGP Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Williams-Sonoma by 30.0% during the second quarter. JGP Wealth Management LLC now owns 58,844 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $13,717,000 after acquiring an additional 13,578 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Balefire LLC increased its position in Williams-Sonoma by 6.0% during the second quarter. Balefire LLC now owns 1,414 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $330,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.