Key Points
- CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares on April 17 at an average price of $200 for proceeds of $3.0 million under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing her stake by 1.54% to 958,524 shares (valued at about $191.7 million).
- Williams‑Sonoma reported quarterly EPS of $3.04 (beating the $2.90 estimate) while revenue fell 4.3% year-over-year to $2.36 billion, and the company maintains strong profitability metrics (ROE 51.45%, net margin 13.94%).
- The board raised the quarterly dividend to $0.76 (annualized $3.04), yielding about 1.5%; the ex-dividend and record dates were April 17 and the dividend is payable May 22.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $3,000,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 958,524 shares in the company, valued at $191,704,800. The trade was a 1.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
Laura Alber also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Monday, March 16th, Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.04, for a total value of $3,660,800.00.
Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 0.2%
Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $202.42 on Wednesday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 12 month low of $139.42 and a 12 month high of $222.00. The stock's 50 day moving average is $193.11 and its 200-day moving average is $192.99. The company has a market capitalization of $24.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.87, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.58.
Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 18th. The specialty retailer reported $3.04 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $0.14. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 51.45% and a net margin of 13.94%.The company had revenue of $2.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.41 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.28 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Williams-Sonoma Increases Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, April 17th will be paid a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. This is an increase from Williams-Sonoma's previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 17th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio is presently 29.83%.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma
Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Maridea Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the first quarter worth $264,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the first quarter worth $1,112,000. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. lifted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 11.1% during the first quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 622 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $113,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. OP Asset Management Ltd bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the first quarter worth $2,321,000. Finally, Apella Capital LLC bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the first quarter worth $202,000. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several brokerages recently issued reports on WSM. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $220.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Evercore set a $200.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Zelman & Associates upgraded Williams-Sonoma from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $205.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. TD Cowen cut their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $250.00 to $225.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $206.00 to $214.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. One research 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.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $209.56.
View Our Latest Stock Report on WSM
Williams-Sonoma Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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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