Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) CFO Jeffrey Howie Sells 3,045 Shares of Stock

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 3,045 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.61, for a total transaction of $671,757.45. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 34,138 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,531,184.18. This represents a 8.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Up 2.4%

Shares of Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $224.08 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $232.18 and its 200-day moving average price is $209.84. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52-week low of $165.51 and a 52-week high of $254.89. The company has a market cap of $26.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.94, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.47.

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

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 20th. Investors of record on Friday, October 16th will be given a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 16th. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.12%.

Williams-Sonoma News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Williams-Sonoma this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Rejuvenation, Williams-Sonoma’s lighting and home-furnishings brand, opened a new store in Dallas—its second Texas location. The expansion increases the brand’s physical retail presence and could support longer-term sales and customer awareness. Rejuvenation Opens New Store in Dallas
• Positive Sentiment: Williams-Sonoma declared a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, payable November 20 to shareholders of record October 16. The unchanged payout equates to $3.04 annually and a yield of roughly 1.4%, reinforcing shareholder returns and signaling continued cash-flow confidence. Williams-Sonoma Quarterly Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: A recent investor-focused article has put the Williams-Sonoma story on the radar, potentially increasing attention around the stock. However, the headline alone does not identify a new earnings, guidance, or strategic catalyst. What Put the Williams-Sonoma Story on the Radar?
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares worth approximately $7.74 million, while CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 3,045 shares worth about $672,000. The sales reduce their individual holdings and can pressure sentiment, although both transactions were made under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans and do not necessarily indicate deteriorating operating expectations. CEO Insider Sale Filing

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of WSM. MidFirst Bank acquired a new stake in Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Ballast Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 229.4% in 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 period. IMG Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the second quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the second quarter worth $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on WSM shares. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $248.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $260.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Telsey Advisory Group set a $260.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $261.00 price objective (up from $230.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Barclays set a $190.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $245.56.

About Williams-Sonoma

Williams-Sonoma, Inc is a specialty retailer focused on high-quality home furnishings, housewares and lifestyle products. The company sells furniture, bedding, bath goods, lighting, rugs, window treatments, home décor, kitchen equipment, cookware, tabletop products, outdoor furnishings and related accessories through e-commerce platforms, catalogs and retail stores.

The company operates a portfolio of brands that includes Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Teen, West Elm, Mark & Graham and Rejuvenation.