Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSM) To Go Ex-Dividend on April 17th
by Mitch Edgeman · The Markets DailyWilliams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM – Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, March 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 17th will be given 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 increased its dividend payment by an average of 0.2%annually over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 20 years. Williams-Sonoma has a payout ratio of 29.1% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research 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 Price Performance
Shares of NYSE:WSM opened at $182.17 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $204.03 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $194.95. Williams-Sonoma has a one year low of $130.07 and a one year high of $222.00. The company has a market cap of $21.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.58, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.64.
Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 18th. The specialty retailer reported $3.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $0.14. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 13.94% and a return on equity of 51.45%. The firm had revenue of $2.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.41 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.28 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Williams-Sonoma will post 8.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Insider Activity at Williams-Sonoma
In other news, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.39, for a total value of $7,258,650.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 806,537 shares in the company, valued at approximately $167,267,708.43. The trade was a 4.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 13,236 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,715,497.76. This trade represents a 5.48% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 55,767 shares of company stock worth $11,076,808 over the last three months. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 22.4% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,742 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,248,000 after acquiring an additional 1,236 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma during the 4th quarter worth approximately $227,000. Woodline Partners LP purchased a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,644,000. Allworth Financial LP increased its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 55.9% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 678 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $111,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares during the period. Finally, Creative Planning lifted its position in Williams-Sonoma by 9.9% in the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 33,030 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $5,396,000 after purchasing an additional 2,966 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.29% of the company’s stock.
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.