Small- and mid-cap stocks (SMID), despite bursts of outperformance, have underperformed large-caps year to date - as they have over the past five years. But they may be in a better position to generate market-beating returns going forward. SMID companies tend to focus on domestic markets, so their businesses could be less disrupted by the fallout from unrest in the Middle East, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, issues in China, or other geopolitical developments. As well, the prices of SMID stocks generally are lower than the prices of large-caps. SMID stocks can be risky, but despite those risks, diversified investors look to have exposure to small- and mid-caps based on the long-term performance record. We estimate that 20% of the U.S. stock market's capitalization is comprised of SMID stocks.

With a retail and direct-to-consumer presence, Williams-Sonoma is a player in the $300 billion domestic home category and $450 billion international home market, focused on expanding its exposure in the B2B ($80 billion total addressable market), marketplace, and franchise areas. Namesake Williams-Sonoma (156 stores) offers high-end cooking essentials, while Pottery Barn (184) provides casual home accessories. West Elm (121) is an emerging concept for young professionals, and Rejuvenation (11) offers lighting and house parts. Brand extensions include Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen (45) as well as Mark & Graham and Greenrow. Williams-Sonoma also has a business-to-business team that supports projects that range from residential to large-scale commercial.

The back-to-school shopping season has just ended. In a blink, we'll be shopping for the holidays. That's should add up to a lot of shopping - but we'll see how secure consumers are feeling about their finances. Shopping patterns offer great insight into the state of consumers, who are the backbone of the U.S. economy (accounting for two-thirds of GDP). It's still a little early for some of the bigger industry groups to put out their holiday estimates, but we do have some data points to consider. Overall, the National Retail Federation expects retail sales to increase 2.5%-3.5% for the entire year. Stastista expects a 4% increase in holiday sales for 2024 compared to 2023. eMarketer forecasts a healthy 4.8% rise in holiday sales compared to last year. Salesforce predicts a 2% increase in 2024 holiday sales, which is still growing but at a slower pace than the 3% logged last year. In sum, consumer spending growth could be between 2%-5% this holiday period. Meanwhile, Forbes notes the following particulars about this upcoming holiday season: 1) it is shortened, with only 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas; 2) past presidential election years have shown a dip in spending leading up to and following the election; and 3) Walmart and Amazon account for roughly 38% of total retail growth, presenting a challenge for other retailers. The following is a list of BUY-rated stocks in Argus' Universe of Coverage. These represent companies that are leaders in the retail industry. Some of these stocks are also in various Argus portfolios.

Williams-Sonoma Inc. is a leading specialty retailer of products for the home. The San Francisco-based company operates 533 retail stores under the Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, PBteen, West Elm and Rejuvenation nameplates, with approximately 20 stores in Canada, 19 stores in Australia and 2 in the UK. WSM has franchises in the Middle East, the Philippines, Mexico, South Korea and India. The company operates e-commerce websites and direct-mail catalogs that allow shoppers to purchase products from these brands plus Mark and Graham. The company has outlet stores that are included in the store count above. In fiscal 2024, e-commerce revenues accounted for approximately 66% of the company's $7.8 billion in sales. The total selling area was about 3.8 million square feet. The average store was 10,200 SF with the flagship brand averaging 6,600. The company's fiscal year ends on the Sunday closest to January 31. The current fiscal year ends on February 2, 2025. The current year has 53 weeks.