=Williams-Sonoma (WSM) reported earnings on Thur 16 Nov 17 (a/h)

Williams-Sonoma reports EPS in-line, revs in-line; guides Q4 EPS below consensus, revs in-line; Announces acquisition of Outward, Inc for all cash consideration of $112 mln 

• Reports Q3 (Oct) earnings of $0.84 per share, excluding non-recurring items, in-line with the Capital IQ Consensus of $0.84; revenues rose 4.3% year/year to $1.3 bln vs the $1.29 bln Capital IQ Consensus.
  • Comparable brand revenue in Q3 17 grew 3.3% compared to a decline of 0.4% in Q3 16
• Co issues guidancefor Q4, sees EPS of $1.49-1.64, excluding non-recurring items, vs. $1.65 Capital IQ Consensus Estimate; sees Q4 revs of $1.610-1.675 bln vs. $1.63 bln Capital IQ Consensus Estimate.
  • Sees comp brand revenue in the range of 2-6%.
• Outward Inc Acquisition
• Williams-Sonoma (WSM) and Outward, Inc. announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Williams-Sonoma will acquire Outward, a leading 3-D imaging and augmented reality platform for the home furnishings and dcor industry, for an all cash consideration of $112 million. This strategic acquisition will enable WSI to enhance and extend its customer service platform, and to develop technologies with Outward. Following the close of the transaction, which is expected by the end of this calendar year, Outward will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of WSI, and will be managed by Outward's current leadership team.