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

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) had its price target boosted by equities research analysts at Argus from $230.00 to $250.00 in a report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the specialty retailer’s stock. Argus’ target price would indicate a potential upside of 12.66% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays set a $190.00 price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Evercore set a $245.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $275.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $247.00 price target (up from $190.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $245.56.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of WSM opened at $221.91 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 1.47. Williams-Sonoma has a 52 week low of $165.51 and a 52 week high of $254.89. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $233.44 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $208.56.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.93 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.48% and a net margin of 14.73%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.00 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma will post 9.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $254,080.88. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 21,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,962,117.33. This represents a 4.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 3,156 shares of company stock valued at $738,699 in the last three months. 1.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 22.4% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,742 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,248,000 after acquiring an additional 1,236 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter worth approximately $227,000. Woodline Partners LP purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 1st quarter valued at $1,644,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 9.0% during the 2nd quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 4,153 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $678,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. raised its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 5.9% in the second quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 4,631 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $757,000 after buying an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Williams-Sonoma

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.