Robert W. Baird Cuts Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Price Target to $225.00

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) had its price objective decreased by Robert W. Baird from $235.00 to $225.00 in a research report report published on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. Robert W. Baird currently has an outperform rating on the specialty retailer’s stock.

WSM has been the subject of a number of other reports. Zelman & Associates raised shares of Williams-Sonoma from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $205.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, January 29th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and issued a $245.00 price target (up from $210.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $220.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Williams-Sonoma from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $209.56.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

WSM stock opened at $178.31 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $21.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $203.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $194.90. Williams-Sonoma has a 12 month low of $130.07 and a 12 month high of $222.00.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 18th. The specialty retailer reported $3.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $0.14. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.94% and a return on equity of 51.45%. The company had revenue of $2.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.41 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.28 EPS. Williams-Sonoma’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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 1.7%. This is a positive change from Williams-Sonoma’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 17th. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.83%.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In other Williams-Sonoma news, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.04, for a total transaction of $3,660,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 786,537 shares in the company, valued at approximately $143,967,732.48. This represents a 2.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 13,236 shares in the company, valued at $2,715,497.76. The trade was a 5.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 55,767 shares of company stock worth $11,076,808. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 15.3% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 6,469 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,155,000 after purchasing an additional 860 shares during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors grew its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 21.0% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 2,257 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $403,000 after purchasing an additional 391 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 13.2% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 132,471 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $23,668,000 after purchasing an additional 15,452 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Advisory Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter valued at $209,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter valued at $70,000. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Williams-Sonoma News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Williams-Sonoma this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat and upbeat guidance — WSM reported $3.04 GAAP EPS (above estimates) and provided a constructive fiscal‑2026 outlook that reassured investors about margins and comps. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase — The board approved a ~15% quarterly dividend raise to $0.76, signaling confidence in cash flow and returning capital to shareholders. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness from some firms — TD Cowen reiterated/maintained a Buy and several firms (RBC, others) raised targets after the quarter, providing upside case support. Read More. and Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Small analyst target lift but cautious rating — Barclays raised its target to $186 but kept an “equal weight” rating, implying only modest upside from current levels. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and YoY decline — Net sales of $2.36B missed consensus (~$2.41B) and were down year‑over‑year, which tempers enthusiasm despite the EPS beat. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Tariffs and margin pressure remain a risk — Management cited tariffs and cost pressures that compress margins even as the company mitigates much of the impact; this remains a watch‑item for investors. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares (~$3.66M), a modest reduction in her stake that some investors view as a cautionary signal. Read More.

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.