Key Points
- Williams-Sonoma CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares on May 27 at an average price of $200, totaling $3 million. After the sale, she still directly owned 923,524 shares, and the trade was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan.
- The company reported solid quarterly results, with EPS of $1.93 beating estimates of $1.80 and revenue of $1.81 billion topping forecasts. Revenue rose 4.4% year over year, and Williams-Sonoma posted strong margins and return on equity.
- Williams-Sonoma also raised its dividend to $0.76 per share quarterly from $0.66, bringing the annualized payout to $3.04 and a yield of about 1.5%. Analysts currently have a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $209.06.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) CEO Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 923,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $184,704,800. The trade was a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, 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 Thursday, May 14th, Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.61, for a total transaction of $3,452,200.00.
- On Friday, April 17th, Laura Alber sold 15,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $3,000,000.00.
- 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 transaction of $3,660,800.00.
Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance
Shares of Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $203.89 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $24.01 billion, a PE ratio of 22.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.49. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $185.98 and its 200-day simple moving average is $191.90. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1 year low of $152.20 and a 1 year high of $222.00.
Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $1.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.85 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.31 earnings per share for the current year.
Williams-Sonoma Increases Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, April 17th were paid a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. This is a positive change from Williams-Sonoma's previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 17th. Williams-Sonoma's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.56%.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma
Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in WSM. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% in the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 1.8% in the fourth 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 period. Sentry Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 25.1% in the third quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC now owns 274 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 10,438 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,864,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mutual Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 1,381 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $247,000 after buying an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.29% of the company's stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several equities research analysts 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 note on Friday, May 22nd. Argus set a $230.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $250.00 to $225.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Williams-Sonoma from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $185.00 to $218.00 in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $190.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $209.06.
View Our Latest Analysis on WSM
About Williams-Sonoma
(
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.
Recommended Stories
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from InsiderTrades.com in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
