Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) EVP Karalyn Yearout Sells 767 Shares

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction on 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 directly owned 13,236 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,715,497.76. This represents a 5.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

Shares of WSM opened at $211.71 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $25.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.29, a P/E/G ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 1.58. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $187.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $189.88. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1 year low of $130.07 and a 1 year high of $219.98.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The specialty retailer reported $1.96 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.86 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.96 EPS. Williams-Sonoma’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on WSM. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group set a $175.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $210.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $198.71.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Boston Partners purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter worth about $254,778,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the second quarter worth approximately $212,107,000. Voya Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 184.3% in the third quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 861,236 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $167,927,000 after acquiring an additional 558,311 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 30.7% during the third 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. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lifted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 740.4% during the second quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 591,690 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $96,664,000 after purchasing an additional 521,283 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

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.