Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) Declares $0.76 Quarterly Dividend

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, September 17th. Investors of record on Friday, October 16th will be paid a dividend of 0.76 per share by the specialty retailer on Friday, November 20th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 16th.

Williams-Sonoma has raised its dividend payment by an average of 0.2%annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 20 consecutive years. Williams-Sonoma has a dividend payout ratio of 33.6% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect Williams-Sonoma to earn $10.49 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $3.04 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 29.0%.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

Williams-Sonoma stock opened at $218.79 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $232.13 and a 200-day moving average price of $209.74. Williams-Sonoma has a one year low of $165.51 and a one year high of $254.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.39, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.47.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 26th. The specialty retailer reported $2.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.96 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.93 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a return on equity of 53.48% and a net margin of 14.73%.The firm’s revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.00 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma will post 9.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Williams-Sonoma

In other news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $250,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,717 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,179,250. This represents a 4.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 2.0% during the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 67,858 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $15,818,000 after purchasing an additional 1,299 shares in the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC increased its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 45.3% in the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 33,553 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $7,821,000 after purchasing an additional 10,467 shares in the last quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 2nd quarter valued at $259,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 2nd quarter valued at $247,000. Finally, Maven Securities LTD purchased a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the 2nd quarter valued at $6,003,000. 99.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Williams-Sonoma Company Profile

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.