Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) Stock Now Rated “Moderate Buy” by Wall Street Brokerages

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the eighteen analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $247.89.

WSM has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $248.00 to $252.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Telsey Advisory Group set a $260.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $210.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Williams-Sonoma

In other Williams-Sonoma news, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.20, for a total transaction of $7,742,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 853,524 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $188,799,508.80. This trade represents a 3.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Anne A. Finucane sold 794 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.14, for a total transaction of $200,199.16. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 9,404 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,371,124.56. This represents a 7.79% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 39,883 shares of company stock valued at $8,867,518 in the last ninety days. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 2nd quarter valued at $2,656,062,000. Aristotle Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 22.0% during the 1st quarter. Aristotle Capital Management LLC now owns 11,140,471 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $2,031,242,000 after purchasing an additional 2,009,032 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,906,785 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,376,872,000 after purchasing an additional 112,683 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 9.2% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,664,580 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $485,833,000 after purchasing an additional 224,128 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 1.4% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,479,064 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $269,640,000 after purchasing an additional 20,886 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Down 2.3%

NYSE:WSM opened at $253.45 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $29.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.49. Williams-Sonoma has a twelve month low of $165.51 and a twelve month high of $263.65. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $237.15 and a 200-day simple moving average of $215.25.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.93 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.73% and a return on equity of 53.48%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.00 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma will post 9.50 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 20th. Investors of record on Friday, October 16th will be issued a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 16th. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is presently 31.12%.

Williams-Sonoma Company Profile

Williams-Sonoma, Inc is a specialty retailer focused on home furnishings, décor, kitchenware and related products. The company operates a portfolio of lifestyle brands, including Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Pottery Barn Kids, Rejuvenation and Mark & Graham.

Its products include cookware, tableware, appliances, furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, home accessories, gifts and personalized merchandise. Williams-Sonoma reaches customers through e-commerce websites, retail stores, catalogs and trade and contract sales, serving both individual consumers and professional customers such as interior designers and hospitality businesses.

Founded in 1956 by Chuck Williams, the company began as a retailer specializing in high-quality French cookware before expanding into a broader home-focused portfolio.