Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) Short Interest Down 14.5% in February

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) saw a significant decline in short interest in February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 7,272,142 shares, a decline of 14.5% from the January 29th total of 8,508,416 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,040,725 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 7.0 days. Currently, 6.2% of the company’s stock are sold short. Currently, 6.2% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,040,725 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 7.0 days.

Insider Activity at Williams-Sonoma

In other news, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.39, for a total transaction of $7,258,650.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 806,537 shares in the company, valued at approximately $167,267,708.43. The trade was a 4.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.16, for a total transaction of $157,357.72. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 13,236 shares in the company, valued at $2,715,497.76. This represents a 5.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WSM. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 2.5% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,139,477 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,199,961,000 after purchasing an additional 147,780 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 7.5% in the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,440,452 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $435,840,000 after buying an additional 170,991 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,919,466 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $342,797,000 after acquiring an additional 130,940 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter valued at $316,920,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 30.6% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,741,639 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $284,532,000 after acquiring an additional 407,929 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WSM has been the topic of several research reports. UBS Group set a $175.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Telsey Advisory Group lowered their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Zelman & Associates upgraded Williams-Sonoma from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $205.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Evercore set a $215.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $202.11.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

Williams-Sonoma stock traded down $1.76 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $197.82. 481,661 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,010,544. Williams-Sonoma has a 12 month low of $130.07 and a 12 month high of $222.00. The business has a 50 day moving average of $204.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $195.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 1.64.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 16th were paid a $0.66 dividend. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 16th. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.04%.

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.