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Williams-Sonoma (WSM)
NYSE:WSM

Williams-Sonoma (WSM) AI Stock Analysis

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WSM

Williams-Sonoma

(NYSE:WSM)

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Neutral 67 (OpenAI - 5.2)
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Neutral 67 (OpenAI - 5.2)
,
Neutral 67 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:67Neutral
Price Target:
$200.00
▲(9.54% Upside)
Action:DowngradedDate:03/19/26
The score is driven primarily by solid financial quality (strong margins and exceptionally high ROE) and a constructive earnings outlook with continued capital returns. These positives are tempered by clearly weak technical momentum (price below key moving averages with negative MACD) and softer recent trends in growth and free-cash-flow conversion.
Positive Factors
High profitability and ROE
Sustained high gross and net margins and an exceptionally high ROE underpin durable earnings quality. These metrics signal pricing power, efficient inventory/assortment economics and strong returns on invested capital, enabling reinvestment, buybacks or dividend support through retail cycles.
Omnichannel brands and B2B momentum
A diversified omnichannel brand portfolio plus accelerating B2B and emerging-brand performance reduces concentration risk and enlarges growth channels. Scalable B2B contracts and fast-growing niche brands create multiple durable revenue streams beyond core retail comps.
Strong cash generation and capital returns
Robust operating cash flow and consistent free cash generation provide financial flexibility to fund e‑commerce and store investments while sustaining buybacks and an expanding dividend. Large cashflows support strategic reinvestment and shareholder-return optionality over the medium term.
Negative Factors
Stalled top-line growth
Revenue has flattened to mildly negative TTM growth, constraining operating leverage and the payback on investments in stores and digital. Without a sustained lift in core demand or material share gains, scale benefits may be harder to capture and margin expansion limited.
Tariff-driven margin risk and inventory embed
Elevated inventory with embedded tariff costs creates ongoing margin volatility and working-capital drag. Tariff exposure is policy‑dependent and front‑half weighted in guidance, meaning margins and cash conversion can be persistently pressured if trade measures persist or escalate.
Weaker cash conversion and expense deleverage
A meaningful decline in FCF and lower cash conversion versus net income signals weakening operational liquidity and greater sensitivity to working-capital swings. Combined with SG&A and general expense deleverage, this reduces margin durability if sales slow or costs reaccelerate.

Williams-Sonoma (WSM) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Williams-Sonoma Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionWilliams-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. The company also provides home decor products under the West Elm brand; kids accessories under the Pottery Barn Kids brand; and an organic bedding to multi-purpose furniture under the Pottery Barn Teen brand. In addition, it offers made-to-order lighting, hardware, furniture, and home decors inspired by history under the Rejuvenation brand; and women's and men's accessories, travel, entertaining and bar, home décor, and seasonal items under the Mark and Graham brand, as well as operates a 3-D imaging and augmented reality platform for the home furnishings and décor industry. The company markets its products through e-commerce websites, direct-mail catalogs, and retail stores. It operates 544 stores comprising 502 stores in 41states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico; 20 stores in Canada; 19 stores in Australia; 3 stores in the United Kingdom; and 139 franchised stores, as well as e-commerce websites in various countries in the Middle East, the Philippines, Mexico, South Korea, and India. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
How the Company Makes MoneyWSM primarily makes money by selling merchandise under its brand portfolio through an omnichannel model (e-commerce and brick-and-mortar stores). The core revenue stream is retail product sales across categories such as kitchenware/cookware, furniture, home decor, textiles, and other home-related goods, with transactions occurring both online and in stores. The company also generates revenue from services tied to its retail offering, most notably design and related customer services associated with home furnishing purchases (e.g., helping customers plan and select products), where applicable. Key factors influencing earnings include product mix (including higher-ticket furniture purchases), pricing and promotional strategy, sourcing and inventory management, and fulfillment/logistics performance for direct-to-consumer shipping. Information about specific third-party partnerships or licensing arrangements is null.

Williams-Sonoma Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Mar 18, 2026
(Q4-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:May 27, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call presented a net-positive picture: management delivered record EPS, strong cash generation, broad-based comp gains across brands, robust B2B and emerging-brand momentum, and a confident fiscal 2026 plan including store investments and continued capital returns. Counterbalancing this are meaningful margin headwinds from tariffs, a YoY gross- and operating-margin decline, inventory exposed to embedded tariff costs, and a notable Q4 weakness at Pottery Barn. On balance the financial strength, cash returns, brand and channel momentum, and explicit guidance that anticipates growth outweigh the near-term margin and tariff challenges.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Record EPS and Strong Profitability
Full-year diluted EPS reached a record $8.84, up 1% year-over-year; Q4 diluted EPS was $3.04. Full-year operating margin finished at 18.1% and Q4 operating margin was 20.3%, demonstrating continued profitable execution.
Top-Line Growth and Comparable Sales
Full-year comp sales grew 3.5% and Q4 comps were +3.2%. Retail comps were particularly strong: retail +6.4% for the year and +4.3% in Q4; Williams Sonoma Q4 comp +7.2% (FY +6.9%); West Elm Q4 comp +4.8% (FY +2.9%); Pottery Barn Kids/Kids & Teens FY comp +4.4% and Q4 +4.0%.
Business-to-Business and Emerging Brands Momentum
B2B delivered another record quarter with a 13.7% quarterly increase and grew 10% for the full year, anchored by the largest contract quarter in company history. Emerging brands (e.g., Rejuvenation, Mark & Graham, GreenRow) delivered double-digit comps and notable acceleration—Rejuvenation exceeded top-line and bottom-line expectations and is viewed as potential billion-dollar brand.
Cash Generation and Capital Return
Generated over $1.3 billion in operating cash flow and $1.1 billion in free cash flow in fiscal 2025. Returned nearly $1.2 billion to shareholders (share repurchases $854M, ~4% of shares; dividends $316M, +13% YoY). Board authorized a 15% increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.76 and $1.3B remains under repurchase authorization.
Balance Sheet Strength and Inventory Positioning
Ended the quarter with over $1 billion in cash and no outstanding debt. Merchandise inventories were $1.5 billion (+9.8% YoY) and included approximately $80 million of embedded incremental tariff costs; excluding tariff impact inventories are in line with sales growth.
Operational & AI-Enabled Improvements
Supply chain and customer service metrics improved: favorable physical inventory (shrink) benefits, supply chain efficiencies, and AI deployments across personalization, product discovery, forecasting, routing, and care workflows delivered measurable operational and conversion gains.
Return-to-Retail Growth Strategy
Company is pivoting to invest in retail: plans to open 20 new stores and complete 19 repositions in fiscal 2026 (net flat store count for 2026), with expected 1%–3% annual store growth thereafter. Retail Take It Home Today and Design Services 3.0 are key initiatives to drive further retail comp gains.
Positive Fiscal 2026 Guidance
Management guided comp brand revenue growth of 2%–6% (midpoint 4%) and operating margin range of 17.5%–18.1% (midpoint 17.8%), reflecting confidence in growth initiatives despite macro and tariff uncertainty.
Negative Updates
Tariff-Driven Margin Pressure
Merchandise margins were adversely impacted by tariffs: Q4 saw a 170 basis point decline in merchandise margins and full-year merchandise margin reduction (tariff-related). Management expects tariff impact to be front-half weighted in fiscal 2026 and guidance assumes current tariffs remain in place.
Gross Margin and Operating Margin Deleverage vs. Prior Year
Q4 gross margin was 46.9% (down 40 basis points YoY) and full-year gross margin was 46.2% (down 30 basis points). Q4 operating margin was 20.3%, down 120 basis points versus last year; full-year operating margin was down 50 basis points YoY to 18.1%.
Pottery Barn Q4 Weakness and DTC Lag
Pottery Barn ran a negative 2.3% comp in Q4 (despite +0.4% for the full year). Management cited heavy reliance on last year’s decorating assortment and weaker non-furniture sales; DTC underperformed for Pottery Barn while retail held up.
SG&A and General Expense Deleverage
Q4 SG&A was 26.6% of revenues (up 80 basis points YoY). General expense increased 120 basis points, partly due to lapping prior-year indirect tax resolution and insurance settlement; employment and other areas only partially offset the increase.
Inventory Build and Embedded Tariff Costs
Merchandise inventories were up 9.8% YoY to $1.5 billion and include ~ $80 million of embedded incremental tariff costs. Elevated inventory and tariff embed add uncertainty to near-term margin dynamics.
Macroeconomic and Geopolitical Uncertainty
Company highlighted ongoing unpredictability in tariff policy, potential freight/oil cost increases, and anemic housing turnover (no housing recovery assumed), all of which could pressure margins and results if conditions worsen or tariffs change unfavorably.
Company Guidance
The company guided fiscal 2026 to comp brand revenue growth of 2%–6% (midpoint 4%) and total net revenue growth of 2.7%–6.7%, with operating margin expected to be 17.5%–18.1% (midpoint 17.8%); the outlook assumes no meaningful housing recovery, does not include OB3 tax benefits, and embeds tariff assumptions (Section 232, current Section 301, and Section 122 at ~15%, with no UFLPA refund) with the tariff hit expected to be front‑half weighted. Capital plans call for roughly $275 million of capex (≈95% to e‑commerce, retail and supply‑chain), a near‑doubling of retail investment, 20 new store openings and ~19 repositions in 2026 (embedded ≈70 basis points of non‑comp growth from real estate), with store count roughly flat in 2026 and then targeted growth of ~1%–3% annually thereafter. Shareholder return priorities include a 15% dividend increase to $0.76 per quarter and $1.3 billion remaining on the repurchase authorization, and management reiterated a long‑term outlook of mid‑ to high‑single‑digit revenue growth and operating margins in the mid‑ to high‑teens.

Williams-Sonoma Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Fundamentals remain solid on profitability (TTM gross margin ~46% and net margin ~13.9%) and very strong returns (TTM ROE ~51%), but growth has stalled (TTM revenue growth -1.33%) and operating leverage has cooled (TTM EBIT margin ~12.3% vs ~18.5% in 2025). Cash generation is still positive, yet free-cash-flow momentum and conversion have weakened (TTM FCF down ~33%; FCF ~62% of net income).
Income Statement
80
Positive
TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) revenue is essentially flat to slightly down versus recent years (TTM revenue growth -1.33% and 2024–2025 modest declines), but profitability remains a key strength. Gross margin is strong at ~46% in TTM, and net margin remains healthy at ~13.9%. That said, operating profitability has softened versus 2025 (TTM EBIT margin ~12.3% vs ~18.5% in 2025), pointing to higher costs and/or increased promotional intensity. Overall: high-margin model with resilient earnings, but near-term growth and operating leverage have cooled.
Balance Sheet
74
Positive
Leverage looks manageable with debt-to-equity around ~0.70 in TTM, improved from higher levels earlier in the period. Equity has grown versus 2023, and returns on equity are exceptionally high (TTM ~51%), supporting the quality of the earnings profile. The main watch-out is that the company still runs with meaningful debt relative to equity for retail, so results are more sensitive if demand weakens. Overall: solid and improving leverage picture with very strong shareholder returns, but not a low-debt balance sheet.
Cash Flow
66
Positive
Cash generation remains positive (TTM operating cash flow ~$1.19B; free cash flow ~$0.74B), but momentum has weakened materially. TTM free cash flow fell ~33% versus the prior period, and cash conversion is less robust than last year (TTM free cash flow is ~62% of net income vs ~84% in 2025). Operating cash flow also covers a smaller share of accounting earnings than in stronger years, suggesting more working-capital drag and/or less favorable cash timing. Overall: still generating solid cash, but conversion and trend have turned into the key concern.
BreakdownJan 2026Jan 2025Jan 2024Jan 2023Jan 2022
Income Statement
Total Revenue7.81B7.71B7.75B8.67B8.25B
Gross Profit3.60B3.58B3.30B3.68B3.63B
EBITDA1.65B1.66B1.48B1.71B1.65B
Net Income1.09B1.13B949.76M1.13B1.13B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets5.41B5.30B5.27B4.66B4.63B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments1.02B1.21B1.26B367.34M850.34M
Total Debt1.46B1.35B1.39B1.44B1.28B
Total Liabilities3.33B3.16B3.15B2.96B2.96B
Stockholders Equity2.08B2.14B2.13B1.70B1.66B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow1.06B1.14B1.49B698.71M1.14B
Operating Cash Flow1.31B1.36B1.68B1.05B1.37B
Investing Cash Flow-260.58M-221.21M-188.26M-353.95M-226.25M
Financing Cash Flow-1.25B-1.18B-598.31M-1.18B-1.49B

Williams-Sonoma Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price182.58
Price Trends
50DMA
202.91
Negative
100DMA
194.48
Negative
200DMA
189.12
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-6.98
Positive
RSI
32.08
Neutral
STOCH
32.63
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For WSM, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 182.58 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 192.29, below the 50-day MA of 202.91, and below the 200-day MA of 189.12, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -6.98 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 32.08 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 32.63 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for WSM.

Williams-Sonoma Risk Analysis

Williams-Sonoma disclosed 41 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Williams-Sonoma reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Williams-Sonoma Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (61)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
67
Neutral
$21.30B23.8851.45%1.37%5.10%7.59%
61
Neutral
$18.38B12.79-2.54%3.03%1.52%-15.83%
56
Neutral
$3.90B7.11-44.22%4.16%-1.04%-20.88%
55
Neutral
$5.09B33.41-15.36%1.98%-20.98%
54
Neutral
$9.46B-41.8111.30%3.35%42.99%
51
Neutral
$13.13B12.8538.54%5.46%-0.95%-48.28%
45
Neutral
$2.40B22.31-140.97%9.74%55.13%
* Consumer Cyclical Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
WSM
Williams-Sonoma
178.42
17.27
10.71%
BBY
Best Buy Co
62.80
-7.01
-10.04%
BBWI
Bath & Body Works
19.41
-9.82
-33.59%
RH
RH
127.65
-114.53
-47.29%
W
Wayfair
72.35
38.69
114.94%
ETSY
Etsy
52.84
7.73
17.14%

Williams-Sonoma Corporate Events

Stock BuybackDividendsFinancial Disclosures
Williams-Sonoma Boosts Dividend After Strong Fiscal 2025
Positive
Mar 18, 2026

Williams-Sonoma reported strong results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2025, ended February 1, 2026, with Q4 comparable brand revenue up 3.2%, an operating margin of 20.3% and diluted EPS of $3.04, despite a tougher comparison due to a 53rd week in the prior year. For the full year, comparable brand revenue rose 3.5%, operating margin was 18.1% and diluted EPS reached a record $8.84, supported by robust demand, disciplined cost management and continued market share gains.

The company generated $1.3 billion in operating cash flow and returned nearly $1.2 billion to shareholders in fiscal 2025 through stock buybacks and dividends, while ending the year with $1.0 billion in cash and a remaining $1.3 billion repurchase authorization. Reflecting its confidence in future performance, Williams-Sonoma’s board approved a 15% increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.76 per share in March 2026, underscoring a commitment to shareholder returns amid ongoing investments in growth and customer service.

The most recent analyst rating on (WSM) stock is a Buy with a $230.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Williams-Sonoma stock, see the WSM Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Mar 19, 2026