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EX-99.1 - EX-99.1 - WILLIAMS SONOMA INCd160621dex991.htm
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Exhibit 99.2

WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC.

3250 Van Ness Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94109

 

      CONTACT:
      Julie P. Whalen
      EVP, Chief Financial Officer
      (415) 616-8524
      Gabrielle L. Rabinovitch
      Vice President, Investor Relations
      (415) 616-7727

PRESS RELEASE

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. announces $500 million

stock repurchase authorization and 6% dividend increase

San Francisco, CA, March 16, 2016 – Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM) announced today that its Board of Directors has authorized a new $500 million stock repurchase program that the company intends to execute over the next three years and a 6% increase in the company’s quarterly cash dividend to $0.37 per share. The quarterly dividend is payable on May 27, 2016 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on April 29, 2016.

Laura Alber, President and Chief Executive Officer, remarked, “The new stock repurchase authorization, along with our decision to increase the quarterly dividend, underscores our commitment to return capital to our stockholders, and reflects our confidence in the cash-generating power of our multi-channel and multi-brand business model.”

The new stock repurchase reprogram is in addition to the company’s previous $750 million stock repurchase program announced in March 2013. As of January 31, 2016, there was approximately $62 million remaining for future repurchases under the $750 million program, for total repurchase authorizations of $562 million. The company’s stock repurchase programs authorize the purchase of the company’s common stock through open market and privately negotiated transactions at times and in such amounts as management deems appropriate. The timing and actual number of shares repurchased will depend on a variety of factors, including price, corporate and regulatory requirements, capital availability and other market conditions. The stock repurchase programs do not have an expiration date and may be limited or terminated at any time without prior notice.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they do not fully materialize or are proven incorrect, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include statements relating to: the timing and amounts of our quarterly cash dividends; the timing and amounts of our stock repurchase program; our commitment to return capital to stockholders; and our ability to generate cash.

The risks and uncertainties that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include: accounting adjustments as we close our books for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 and as audited year-end financial statements are prepared; continuing changes in general economic conditions, and the impact on consumer confidence and consumer spending; new interpretations of or changes to current accounting rules; our ability to anticipate consumer preferences and buying trends; dependence on timely introduction and customer acceptance of our merchandise; changes in consumer spending based on weather, political, competitive and other conditions beyond our control; delays in store openings; competition from companies with concepts or products similar to ours; timely and effective sourcing of merchandise from our foreign and domestic vendors and delivery of merchandise through our supply chain to our stores and customers; effective inventory management; our ability to manage customer returns; successful catalog management, including timing, sizing and merchandising; uncertainties in e-marketing, infrastructure and regulation; multi-channel and multi-brand complexities; our ability to introduce new brands and brand extensions;


challenges associated with our increasing global presence; dependence on external funding sources for operating capital; disruptions in the financial markets; our ability to control employment, occupancy and other operating costs; our ability to improve our systems and processes; changes to our information technology infrastructure; general political, economic and market conditions and events, including war, conflict or acts of terrorism; and other risks and uncertainties described more fully in our public announcements, reports to stockholders and other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2015, and all subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to us as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

ABOUT WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a specialty retailer of high-quality products for the home. These products, representing eight distinct merchandise strategies – Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm, PBteen, Williams-Sonoma Home, Rejuvenation, and Mark and Graham – are marketed through e-commerce websites, direct mail catalogs and 618 stores. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. currently operates in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, offers international shipping to customers worldwide, and has unaffiliated franchisees that operate stores in the Middle East and the Philippines, and stores and e-commerce websites in Mexico.

 

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