Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Price Target Raised to $245.00

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) had its price target hoisted by TD Cowen from $210.00 to $245.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the specialty retailer’s stock.

Several other brokerages also recently commented on WSM. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Citigroup decreased their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $202.00 to $188.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. UBS Group set a $175.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $200.76.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 2.6%

WSM stock opened at $209.94 on Tuesday. Williams-Sonoma has a 52 week low of $130.07 and a 52 week high of $219.98. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $188.88 and a 200 day simple moving average of $190.95. The company has a market cap of $25.06 billion, a PE ratio of 23.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.38 and a beta of 1.58.

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, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.86 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.30% and a return on equity of 53.10%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.96 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma 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. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 16th. Williams-Sonoma’s payout ratio is 29.04%.

Insider Activity at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were 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 owned 806,537 shares in the company, valued at $167,267,708.43. This trade represents a 4.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owned 13,236 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,715,497.76. This represents a 5.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 65,767 shares of company stock valued at $12,802,440 in the last ninety days. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Williams-Sonoma

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 22.4% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,742 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,248,000 after purchasing an additional 1,236 shares during the period. Bison Wealth LLC bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the fourth quarter worth $227,000. Woodline Partners LP acquired a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the first quarter valued at $1,644,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 8.9% in the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 7,950 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,299,000 after buying an additional 648 shares during the period. Finally, Diversified Trust Co boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 47.8% during the second quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 3,320 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $542,000 after acquiring an additional 1,074 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.