Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $213.1250.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company set a $190.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Evercore set a $200.00 price target on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $225.00 price target (up from $220.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Citigroup reduced their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $208.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Williams-Sonoma from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE WSM opened at $226.41 on Monday. Williams-Sonoma has a 1 year low of $165.51 and a 1 year high of $244.65. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $215.79 and its 200-day moving average is $202.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.66 billion, a PE ratio of 25.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.49.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.13. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The business had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.80 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.85 earnings per share. Williams-Sonoma’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma will post 9.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.04%.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In other news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $254,080.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 21,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,962,117.33. The trade was a 4.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.61, for a total value of $3,452,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 938,524 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $161,998,627.64. This trade represents a 2.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 36,634 shares of company stock worth $6,812,283. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Aristotle Capital Management LLC raised its holdings 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 worth $2,031,242,000 after purchasing an additional 2,009,032 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 2.5% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,139,477 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,199,961,000 after buying an additional 147,780 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 9.2% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,664,580 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $485,833,000 after buying an additional 224,128 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 7.3% in the 4th 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 valued at $342,797,000 after buying an additional 130,940 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter valued at $316,920,000. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

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.