Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Hits New 1-Year High Following Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday after Evercore ISI raised their price target on the stock from $200.00 to $210.00. Evercore ISI currently has an in-line rating on the stock. Williams-Sonoma traded as high as $220.93 and last traded at $217.1850, with a volume of 286261 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $214.03.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on WSM. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $245.00 price target (up from $210.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Zelman & Associates raised Williams-Sonoma from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $205.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. UBS Group set a $175.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $201.83.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In other Williams-Sonoma news, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.39, for a total value of $7,258,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 806,537 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $167,267,708.43. The trade was a 4.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the business’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 sale, the executive vice president owned 13,236 shares in the company, valued at $2,715,497.76. This trade represents a 5.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 65,767 shares of company stock valued at $12,802,440 over the last 90 days. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 111.8% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 144 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 130.8% in the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 180 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the third quarter valued at $37,000. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 66.7% in the third quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 220 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the period. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 57.2% during the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 228 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 1.4%

The company has a market cap of $25.92 billion, a PE ratio of 23.86, a P/E/G ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $192.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $193.04.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 19th. The specialty retailer reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.09. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.10% and a net margin of 14.30%.The business had revenue of $1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.86 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.96 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.66 per share. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 16th. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is 29.04%.

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.