Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSM)
Williams-Sonoma is a premium home furnishings retailer that owns well-known brands like Pottery Barn, West Elm, and its namesake kitchenware stores.
Is Williams-Sonoma, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Strong brand recognition across multiple home categories. Worth weighing: High sensitivity to the ups and downs of the economy. Below, we lay out what it does, what its numbers mean, and the honest risks, so you can decide for yourself.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Williams-Sonoma, Inc. actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. fell as much as −37% from a high to a later low. Drops of this size are a normal part of owning a share - worth knowing in advance, so a dip doesn't come as a shock.
Worst peak-to-trough fall in the daily closing price over the period we hold. Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Long-term growth in the premium home market
A prolonged downturn in the housing market
What does Williams-Sonoma, Inc. do?
The company sells high-end furniture, kitchen gadgets, and home decor through its websites and physical shops. Designing and selling these goods directly to customers, keeping a healthy slice of profit from every sale, is what pays the bills. How well consumer spending on home goods holds up when the economy feels a bit wobbly is the key question here.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on momentum and quality, and weakest on growth.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 1.3% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 4% over the year
- ✓Strong return on shareholder money (ROE 54%)
- Momentum screens high (70/100)
- Strong brand recognition across multiple home categories
- High profit margins compared to many retail peers
- Efficient use of shareholder capital
- Growth screens low (29/100)
- A slowdown in the housing market reduces demand for new furniture
- Rising costs for raw materials could squeeze profit margins
- Increased competition from cheaper online furniture retailers
What do Williams-Sonoma, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How much money does Williams-Sonoma, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Williams-Sonoma, Inc. pay a dividend?
Yes - Williams-Sonoma, Inc. currently pays a dividend of about 1.3% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
What do the numbers say about Williams-Sonoma, Inc.'s dividend?
There's no rating here, and we don't judge whether the dividend will continue - that would be advice. Here are the figures income investors usually look at, and what each one means, so you can weigh it up yourself.
Figures are from the latest available data and can be distorted by one-off results. Past payments don't predict future ones, and a dividend can be cut at any time. This lays out the numbers to help you understand them - it is not a view on what will happen.
When does Williams-Sonoma, Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-08-26 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-21 | $1.80 | $1.93 | Beat +7% |
| 2026-03-18 | $2.90 | $3.04 | Beat +5% |
| 2025-11-19 | $1.87 | $1.96 | Beat +5% |
| 2025-08-27 | $1.79 | $2.00 | Beat +12% |
| 2025-05-22 | $1.75 | $1.85 | Beat +5% |
| 2025-03-19 | $2.94 | $3.28 | Beat +11% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 6 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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Casey's General Stores, Inc.What are the scenarios for Williams-Sonoma, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Williams-Sonoma, Inc.?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Strong brand recognition across multiple home categories
- High profit margins compared to many retail peers
- Efficient use of shareholder capital
- High sensitivity to the ups and downs of the economy
- Relies heavily on discretionary spending by households
- High price-to-book: The share price versus the company's net assets per share (its book value). Under 1 can look cheap, though it varies a lot by industry. ratio suggests the shares are priced at a premium
- A slowdown in the housing market reduces demand for new furniture
- Rising costs for raw materials could squeeze profit margins
- Increased competition from cheaper online furniture retailers
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A significant and sustained drop in profit margins
- A major shift in consumer preference away from premium home goods
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.