Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Stock Price Expected to Rise, UBS Group Analyst Says

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) had its price objective raised by stock analysts at UBS Group from $175.00 to $185.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the specialty retailer’s stock. UBS Group’s price objective would indicate a potential downside of 0.38% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Zelman & Associates upgraded shares of Williams-Sonoma from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $205.00 price target for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $188.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Williams-Sonoma from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Evercore set a $215.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $203.78.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

WSM traded down $2.69 on Wednesday, hitting $185.70. 900,478 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,042,376. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.49, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 1.64. Williams-Sonoma has a 12 month low of $130.07 and a 12 month high of $222.00. The business has a 50-day moving average of $204.97 and a two-hundred day moving average of $195.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Williams-Sonoma news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $2,715,497.76. The trade was a 5.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 806,537 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $167,267,708.43. The trade was a 4.16% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Groupe la Francaise grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 8.2% during the second quarter. Groupe la Francaise now owns 631 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $103,000 after buying an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp raised its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 51.5% in the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 147 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,878 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $514,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 25.1% during the 3rd quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC now owns 274 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fulton Bank N.A. grew its holdings in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 10,438 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,864,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.