Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) Stock Price Expected to Rise, The Goldman Sachs Group Analyst Says

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) had its price objective boosted by The Goldman Sachs Group from $170.00 to $224.00 in a research report report published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the specialty retailer’s stock.

WSM has been the subject of a number of other reports. Citigroup cut their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $140.00 to $134.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $162.00 to $189.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $165.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $116.00 to $123.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $165.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, January 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $172.34.

Williams-Sonoma Price Performance

WSM stock opened at $217.31 on Thursday. Williams-Sonoma has a 1 year low of $95.76 and a 1 year high of $219.98. The company has a market cap of $26.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 1.79. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $191.23 and its 200-day moving average price is $159.15.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 17th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 17th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.05%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.97%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Laura Alber sold 45,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.76, for a total transaction of $9,349,200.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 944,666 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $196,263,808.16. This represents a 4.55 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 3,160 shares of Williams-Sonoma stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $177.39, for a total transaction of $560,552.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 46,388 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,228,767.32. The trade was a 6.38 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 88,160 shares of company stock worth $15,129,352. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Smithfield Trust Co lifted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 100.0% in the third quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 160 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Cassady Schiller Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Cassady Schiller Wealth Management LLC now owns 166 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the period. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Clean Yield Group bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the third quarter worth $30,000. Finally, HM Payson & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 100.0% during the third quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 200 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.

About Williams-Sonoma

Williams-Sonoma, Inc operates as an omni-channel specialty retailer of various products for home. It offers cooking, dining, and entertaining products, such as cookware, tools, electrics, cutlery, tabletop and bar, outdoor, furniture, and a library of cookbooks under the Williams Sonoma Home brand, as well as home furnishings and decorative accessories under the Williams Sonoma lifestyle brand; and furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, table essentials, and decorative accessories under the Pottery Barn brand.