Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) Short Interest Down 13.6% in December

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant drop in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 10,350,000 shares, a drop of 13.6% from the December 15th total of 11,980,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 2,020,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.1 days.

Williams-Sonoma Stock Performance

Shares of Williams-Sonoma stock traded up $0.46 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $198.99. The company had a trading volume of 588,417 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,326,380. The company has a 50 day moving average of $176.53 and a 200 day moving average of $154.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.55, a P/E/G ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 1.79. Williams-Sonoma has a 52-week low of $95.76 and a 52-week high of $200.85.

Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 17th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.15%. Williams-Sonoma's payout ratio is presently 26.97%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group upped their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $165.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $140.00 to $134.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Williams-Sonoma from $136.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Williams-Sonoma from $165.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Loop Capital upped their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $145.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $160.03.

Insider Buying and Selling at Williams-Sonoma

In related news, CFO Jeffrey Howie sold 3,160 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 46,388 shares in the company, valued at $8,228,767.32. This trade represents a 6.38 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 40,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.49, for a total value of $5,219,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 990,956 shares of the company's stock, valued at $129,309,848.44. The trade was a 3.88 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Williams-Sonoma

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WSM. Smithfield Trust Co lifted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC bought a new position in Williams-Sonoma in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Cassady Schiller Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake 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 purchasing an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Clean Yield Group bought a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma during the third quarter valued at $30,000. 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.