Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSM)

The stock price has been hammered, dropping from 40-something to $29 recently. There's a shuffle underway in the executive suite with a returning CEO (1979-2001) taking over. WSM has provided top-line growth guidance of 10-12%, down from recent estimates of 12-14%. Retail Specialty (Home) is always a challenge and recent pressures have taken their toll on companies like BBBY too. But the strong survive when the going gets tough ... and Williams-Sonoma profitability track record has been quite good in recent years. We have WSM at a projected annual return of 19% and the company ranks among the most-respected quality companies in its peer group.

Strong brands. Solid performance and reasonable valuation as measured by PEG ration and return on equity. Some high-growth brands with unique positioning, such as West Elm. Show me more stocks like this for the long term.

At $36, it's 33% undervalued. Est annual growth = 11-20%. My wife is always shopping at their stores on-line, and I bet this will continue to grow with women.

Chart pattern indicates to go up, and I'm not a technical analyzer! Even I can see this. Going into their stores is a treat.

Wow - I used to love there stores. Without PB kids, where will I buy my babies 1300 dollar armoire. Note: any stores that sell baby Armoires (other then Ikea) - won't make it.

Mom has spoken.

WSM has good fundamentals and good management. It has tanked due to the decline in the housing market, which should rebound by the second quarter of 2007 and bring WSM up with it. It has a great management team that should solve the problem with Pottery Barn.

More and more in recent years, America is taking an interest in home decor and gourmet cooking. The TV shows that cater to this audience often present upscale homes and pricey cookware; the viewers want a piece of this luxury, and WSM is just the place to get it.

Reload. From a previous post:
"I need some pottery to spruce up my section 8 housing. This thing is finished in five years. Americans, of which I am one, make me laugh."

Discretionary dismeshenary.

probably drop to around 5 before becoming a good buy.

good value at this point........

Sometimes you have to catch a stock even if it hasn't bottomed out yet. Williams Sonoma + Pottery Barn are upper middle class retail stores that are experiencing bad times. But not do to management, just to economic conditions.

This stock is trading at less than 1/2 its 52 week high and 1/3 its all time peak. They will be back.

Williams Sonoma is a specialty retailer that sells everything from cookware to bed and bath products. My fiance loves their stores and I have the bank statement to prove it.
This is a solid company and it has a great group of managers. They only have about 600 stores nationwide...that's around 11 or 12 stores per state. So, I'd say they have plenty of room to grow, and with ROA near 13 percent.... they have pretty good reason to continue that growth.
This company reminds me of a more diversified and established version of Middleby. They're boring, they have a solid business model, and good inside ownership. It's hard to find something I don't like about this company....other than how much money I'm losing to them via my fiance.
Go Long,
Fool On!!!

I THINK THE BOTTOM OF THE PREMIUM HOME FURNISHING MARKET IS OVER

Luxury retailer that sells easily downtradable kitchen products
Insiders dumping shares like they have the plague (5 million and counting!).

starting to scale in some longer term short plays

Retail's in a bad spot. WSM is way overvalued.

Why has my Brookstone catalog stopped coming?

Pottery sells garbage for high prices as if it's a luxury item. Eventually this is going to catch up with them.