Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) Plans Quarterly Dividend of $0.66

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, December 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 16th will be paid a dividend of 0.66 per share by the specialty retailer on Friday, February 20th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 16th.

Williams-Sonoma has raised its dividend by an average of 0.2%per year over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 20 years. Williams-Sonoma has a dividend payout ratio of 29.1% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect Williams-Sonoma to earn $8.51 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $2.64 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 31.0%.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of WSM opened at $185.43 on Thursday. Williams-Sonoma has a one year low of $130.07 and a one year high of $219.98. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $186.42 and a 200 day moving average price of $184.73. The company has a market capitalization of $22.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.40, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 1.55.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The specialty retailer reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.86 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.10% and a net margin of 14.30%.Williams-Sonoma’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.96 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.79, for a total transaction of $695,765.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 14,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,783,656.37. This represents a 20.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 12,161 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $181.07, for a total value of $2,201,992.27. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 846,927 shares in the company, valued at approximately $153,353,071.89. This trade represents a 1.42% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 33,500 shares of company stock worth $6,082,197. 1.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Maseco LLP acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter valued at $26,000. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 111.8% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 144 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 130.8% during the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 180 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. Quarry LP boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 99.0% during the 1st quarter. Quarry LP now owns 199 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter worth about $37,000. 99.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Williams-Sonoma Company Profile

Williams-Sonoma, Inc operates as an omni-channel specialty retailer of various products for home. It offers cooking, dining, and entertaining products, such as cookware, tools, electrics, cutlery, tabletop and bar, outdoor, furniture, and a library of cookbooks under the Williams Sonoma Home brand, as well as home furnishings and decorative accessories under the Williams Sonoma lifestyle brand; and furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, table essentials, and decorative accessories under the Pottery Barn brand.