Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Hits New 1-Year High – Here’s Why

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $234.89 and last traded at $235.1560, with a volume of 39911 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $226.14.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on WSM shares. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $250.00 to $225.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Williams-Sonoma from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $185.00 to $218.00 in a report on Monday, April 13th. Barclays set a $190.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $192.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Williams-Sonoma from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. One 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $211.47.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 5.3%

The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $197.54 and its 200-day simple moving average is $196.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.51.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.80 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.85 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 17th will be paid a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.17%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 2,267 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.49, for a total value of $436,374.83. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 23,351 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,494,833.99. This represents a 8.85% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 32,684 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.64, for a total value of $5,904,037.76. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 34,138 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,166,688.32. The trade was a 48.91% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 88,004 shares of company stock valued at $16,420,107 in the last 90 days. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Aristotle Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 22.0% in the first quarter. Aristotle Capital Management LLC now owns 11,140,471 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $2,031,242,000 after acquiring an additional 2,009,032 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter worth about $316,920,000. Boston Partners bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter valued at about $254,778,000. Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 102.8% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,108,589 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $202,129,000 after purchasing an additional 561,977 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 30.7% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,269,461 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $443,566,000 after purchasing an additional 532,995 shares during the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.