Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) Declares Dividend Increase – $0.76 Per Share

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, March 18th. Investors of record on Friday, April 17th will be paid a dividend of 0.76 per share by the specialty retailer on Friday, May 22nd. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 17th. This is a 15.2% increase from Williams-Sonoma’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.66.

Williams-Sonoma has raised its dividend by an average of 0.2%per year over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 20 years. Williams-Sonoma has a payout ratio of 29.1% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Williams-Sonoma to earn $8.51 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $2.64 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 31.0%.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

WSM opened at $183.90 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $204.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $195.04. The company has a market cap of $21.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.23, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.64. Williams-Sonoma has a one year low of $130.07 and a one year high of $222.00.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 18th. The specialty retailer reported $3.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $0.14. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.30% and a return on equity of 53.10%. The business had revenue of $2.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.41 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.28 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Williams-Sonoma will post 8.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $205.16, for a total transaction of $157,357.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 13,236 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,715,497.76. This represents a 5.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.04, for a total transaction of $3,660,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 786,537 shares in the company, valued at approximately $143,967,732.48. The trade was a 2.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 55,767 shares of company stock valued at $11,076,808 in the last 90 days. 1.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Williams-Sonoma

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 15.3% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 6,469 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,155,000 after buying an additional 860 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors grew its position in Williams-Sonoma by 21.0% during the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 2,257 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $403,000 after acquiring an additional 391 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 13.2% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 132,471 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $23,668,000 after acquiring an additional 15,452 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Advisory Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter worth about $209,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 4th quarter valued at about $70,000. 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.