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: Williams-Sonoma is a premium home furnishings retailer that owns well-known brands like Pottery Barn, West Elm, and its namesake kitchenware stores.
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.
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.
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 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 2026-08-01 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.