Insider Selling: Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Director Sells $200,199.16 in Stock

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) Director Anne Finucane sold 794 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.14, for a total transaction of $200,199.16. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 9,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,371,124.56. The trade was a 7.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

WSM traded down $2.15 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $249.88. 1,808,408 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,156,747. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.43 billion, a PE ratio of 25.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 1.48. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $234.11 and its 200 day moving average price is $216.71. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 1-year low of $165.51 and a 1-year high of $255.33.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.93 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.73% and a return on equity of 53.48%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.00 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 20th. Investors of record on Friday, October 16th will be paid a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 16th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.12%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on WSM. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $261.00 target price (up from $250.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, August 24th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Monday, August 10th. Telsey Advisory Group set a $260.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $270.00 price objective (up from $250.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Piper Sandler initiated coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Monday, July 27th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $253.00 price objective on the stock. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $245.56.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. MidFirst Bank acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Ballast Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% during the first quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 168 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter worth approximately $35,000. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Williams-Sonoma Company Profile

Williams-Sonoma, Inc is an omnichannel specialty retailer focused on home furnishings, décor, kitchenware and related lifestyle products. The company operates a portfolio of brands that includes Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Teen, West Elm, Williams Sonoma Home and Mark & Graham.

Its products include cookware, cutlery, appliances, tabletop goods, furniture, bedding, bath products, lighting, rugs, textiles, decorative accessories, gifts and personalized items.