Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSM) vs Wayfair Inc. (W) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | W | 5.1% revenue growth vs WSM's -0.5% |
| Value | WSM | Lower P/E (23.6x vs 26.2x) |
| Quality / Margins | WSM | 14.0% net margin vs W's -2.7% |
| Stability / Safety | WSM | Beta 1.40 vs W's 2.51 |
| Dividends | WSM | 1.1% yield; 19-year raise streak; W pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | W | +93.0% vs WSM's +7.0% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | WSM | 20.8% ROA vs W's -10.4% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Williams-Sonoma is a premium home furnishings and kitchenware retailer operating multiple lifestyle brands including Pottery Barn, West Elm, and its namesake Williams Sonoma stores. It generates revenue primarily through direct-to-consumer sales — about 65% from e-commerce and 35% from retail stores — across its portfolio of brands that each target different home decor segments. The company's key advantage is its strong multi-brand portfolio with distinct brand identities, a vertically integrated supply chain that allows for proprietary product development, and a loyal customer base cultivated through its iconic catalogs and digital marketing.
Wayfair is an online retailer specializing in home goods — furniture, décor, and housewares — sold through its family of branded websites. It generates revenue primarily from direct retail sales to consumers, with additional income from advertising and services to suppliers. The company's key advantage is its massive online selection — over 33 million products — and proprietary logistics network that connects customers with thousands of suppliers.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
WSM leads in 5 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). W leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
W is the larger business by revenue, generating $12.2B annually — 1.5x WSM's $7.9B. WSM is the more profitable business, keeping 14.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to W's -2.7%. On growth, W holds the edge at +8.1% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | WSMWilliams-Sonoma, … | WWayfair Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $7.9B | $12.2B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $1.6B | $140M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $1.1B | -$325M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $1.1B | $389M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +45.6% | +30.2% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +18.1% | -1.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +14.0% | -2.7% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +14.0% | +3.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +4.6% | +8.1% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | 0.0% | -26.7% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, WSM's 15.3x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than W's 38.9x.
| Metric | WSMWilliams-Sonoma, … | WWayfair Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $25.3B | $9.9B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $25.5B | $12.5B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 23.40x | -31.54x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 23.62x | 26.19x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 0.75x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 15.33x | 38.87x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.28x | 0.80x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 12.29x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 22.24x | 21.39x |
Profitability & Efficiency
| Metric | WSMWilliams-Sonoma, … | WWayfair Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +53.4% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +20.8% | -10.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +47.3% | — |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +42.2% | +1.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 7 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.63x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $134M | $2.6B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $1.2B | $1.5B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.3B | $4.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | -2.26x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in WSM five years ago would be worth $31,782 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $2,274 for W. Over the past 12 months, W leads with a +93.0% total return vs WSM's +7.0%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors WSM at 50.4% vs W's 23.5% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | WSMWilliams-Sonoma, … | WWayfair Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +9.8% | -28.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +7.0% | +93.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +240.0% | +88.5% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +217.8% | -77.3% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +742.6% | +95.9% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +50.4% | +23.5% |
Risk & Volatility
WSM is the less volatile stock with a 1.40 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than W's 2.51 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. WSM currently trades 92.7% from its 52-week high vs W's 63.6% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | WSMWilliams-Sonoma, … | WWayfair Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.40x | 2.51x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $221.81 | $119.98 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $130.07 | $20.41 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +92.7% | +63.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 52.2 | 37.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 830K | 2.7M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates WSM as "Hold" and W as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 40.8% upside for W (target: $108) vs -1.8% for WSM (target: $202). WSM is the only dividend payer here at 1.06% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | WSMWilliams-Sonoma, … | WWayfair Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $202.00 | $107.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 56 | 57 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +1.1% | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 19 | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $2.19 | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +3.2% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williams-Sonoma, In… (WSM) | 100 | 685.99 | +586.0% |
| Wayfair Inc. (W) | 100 | 165.67 | +65.7% |
Williams-Sonoma, In… (WSM) returned +218% over 5 years vs Wayfair Inc. (W)'s -77%. A $10,000 investment in WSM 5 years ago would be worth $31,782 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williams-Sonoma, In… (WSM) | $5.1B | $7.7B | +51.7% |
| Wayfair Inc. (W) | $3.4B | $12.5B | +268.5% |
Wayfair Inc.'s revenue grew from $3.4B (2016) to $12.5B (2025) — a 15.6% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williams-Sonoma, In… (WSM) | 6.0% | 14.6% | +142.9% |
| Wayfair Inc. (W) | -5.8% | -2.5% | +56.3% |
Wayfair Inc.'s net margin went from -6% (2016) to -3% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williams-Sonoma, In… (WSM) | 16.7 | 21.1 | +26.3% |
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has traded in a 7x–21x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~23x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williams-Sonoma, In… (WSM) | 1.71 | 8.79 | +415.0% |
| Wayfair Inc. (W) | -2.29 | -2.42 | -5.7% |
Wayfair Inc.'s EPS grew from $-2.29 (2016) to $-2.42 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. generated $1B FCF in 2024 (-1% vs 2021). Wayfair Inc. generated $464M FCF in 2025 (+257% vs 2021).
WSM vs W: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is WSM or W a better buy right now?
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSM) offers the better valuation at 23.4x trailing P/E (23.6x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Wayfair Inc. (W) a "Buy" — based on 57 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — WSM or W?
On forward P/E, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is actually cheaper at 23.6x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — WSM or W?
Over the past 5 years, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSM) delivered a total return of +217.8%, compared to -77.3% for Wayfair Inc. (W). A $10,000 investment in WSM five years ago would be worth approximately $32K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: WSM returned +742.6% versus W's +95.9%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — WSM or W?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSM) is the lower-risk stock at 1.40β versus Wayfair Inc.'s 2.51β — meaning W is approximately 79% more volatile than WSM relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — WSM or W?
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSM) is the more profitable company, earning 14.6% net margin versus -2.5% for Wayfair Inc. — meaning it keeps 14.6% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: WSM leads at 18.5% versus 0.1% for W. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — WSM leads at 46.5%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is WSM or W more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSM) trades at 23.6x forward P/E versus 26.2x for Wayfair Inc. — 2.6x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for W: 40.8% to $107.50.
07Which pays a better dividend — WSM or W?
In this comparison, WSM (1.1% yield) pays a dividend. W does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is WSM or W better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSM) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (1.1% yield, +742.6% 10Y return). Wayfair Inc. (W) carries a higher beta of 2.51 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (WSM: +742.6%, W: +95.9%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between WSM and W?
Both stocks operate in the Consumer Cyclical sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. WSM pays a dividend while W does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.