Williams-Sonoma Stock In Focus As CEO Sells $9.5M In Shares: Retail's Bullish

Shares of Williams-Sonoma ($WSM) were in the spotlight as the company's CEO Laura Alber reportedly sold $9.35 million worth of shares recently, with retail sentiment staying bullish.

Alber reportedly still has  direct ownership of 944,666 shares in addition to 33,106 shares indirect shares through a managed account, Investing.com reported.

The sale falls under the Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, a predetermined plan that allows company insiders to sell shares legally, according to the report.

Williams-Sonoma is a home retailer whose brands include Pottery Barn, West Elm, Williams Sonoma Home, Mark and Graham, and GreenRow.

Williams-Sonoma shares have gained 40% in the last six months, reaching a six-month high on Jan 22.

Sentiment on Stocktwits improved to 'bullish' from 'neutral' a month ago. Message volumes have continued to be in the 'high' zone.

WSM sentiment meter and message volumes on Jan 24 as of 3:40 a.m. ET

Recently. the company's board also declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.57 per share of common stock. 

Last week, Morgan Stanley analyst Simeon Gutman raised the firm's price target to $195 from $170 with an 'Equal Weight' rating, Fly.com reported.  

According to the report, the analyst's preferred stocks for 2025 are companies leveraging their scale to invest in next-generation retail tech that have revenue upside, in the broader hardline, broadline and food retail space.

Wall Street analysts expect Williams-Sonoma to post fourth-quarter earnings per share of $2.89 on revenues of $2.34 billion, according to Stocktwits data.

Williams-Sonoma stock is up 14% year-to-date.

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