Laura Alber Sells 35,000 Shares of Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Stock
by Renee Jackson · The Cerbat GemWilliams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM – Get Free Report) CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.39, for a total transaction of $7,258,650.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 806,537 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $167,267,708.43. This represents a 4.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.
Laura Alber also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Wednesday, November 26th, Laura Alber sold 12,161 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $181.07, for a total value of $2,201,992.27.
- On Tuesday, November 25th, Laura Alber sold 17,839 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.51, for a total value of $3,184,439.89.
Williams-Sonoma Price Performance
NYSE WSM traded up $1.71 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $211.71. The stock had a trading volume of 1,031,091 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,196,816. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $187.02 and its 200 day moving average is $189.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.29, a PEG ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 1.58. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a twelve month low of $130.07 and a twelve month high of $219.98.
Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The specialty retailer reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.86 billion. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.30% and a return on equity of 53.10%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.96 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current year.
Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 16th will be given a $0.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 16th. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.04%.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma
A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WSM. Groupe la Francaise raised its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 8.2% in the second quarter. Groupe la Francaise now owns 631 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $103,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 25.1% during the third quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC now owns 274 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. grew its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 10,438 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,864,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Elyxium Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Elyxium Wealth LLC now owns 16,099 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $3,146,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Abacus Planning Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. now owns 1,977 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $353,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
WSM has been the subject of a number of research reports. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $210.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 20th. UBS Group set a $175.00 price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Telsey Advisory Group reduced their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $225.00 to $220.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $202.00 to $188.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $198.71.
View Our Latest Analysis on WSM
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.
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