Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSM) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.76 on August 21st

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, June 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 17th will be given a dividend of 0.76 per share by the specialty retailer on Friday, August 21st. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th.

Williams-Sonoma has raised its dividend by an average of 0.2%annually over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 20 years. Williams-Sonoma has a payout ratio of 33.6% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Williams-Sonoma to earn $10.25 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $3.04 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 29.7%.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

Shares of Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $220.63 on Wednesday. Williams-Sonoma has a 52-week low of $161.76 and a 52-week high of $244.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.98 billion, a PE ratio of 24.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.49. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $208.30 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $200.53.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last released 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.85 EPS. Analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma will post 9.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on WSM shares. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Williams-Sonoma from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $185.00 to $218.00 in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Morgan Stanley set a $210.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed 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. Wells Fargo & Company set a $190.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, KeyCorp upped their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $212.65.

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.