Insider Selling: Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) EVP Sells $128,615.58 in Stock

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.39, for a total value of $128,615.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,195 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,975,846.05. This represents a 2.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Karalyn Yearout also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, August 4th, Karalyn Yearout sold 1,000 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $250,000.00.
• On Monday, June 15th, Karalyn Yearout sold 1,112 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $254,080.88.
• On Monday, June 8th, Karalyn Yearout sold 522 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.07, for a total transaction of $106,002.54.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WSM opened at $245.38 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $28.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.50. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 52-week low of $165.51 and a 52-week high of $254.89. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $228.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $206.07.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.13. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.81% and a return on equity of 53.29%. The company had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.80 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.85 earnings per share. Williams-Sonoma’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.04%.

Institutional Trading of Williams-Sonoma

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of Nova Scotia bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the second quarter valued at $15,319,000. Compass Financial Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 2nd quarter worth $174,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 2nd quarter worth $907,000. Daiichi Life Insurance Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 2nd quarter worth about $798,000. Finally, Commerce Bank bought a new stake in Williams-Sonoma in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,207,000. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WSM has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $192.00 price objective on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Evercore set a $240.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Bank of America initiated coverage on Williams-Sonoma in a report on Friday, June 12th. They set a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $261.00 price objective (up from $230.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $223.29.

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.