Williams-Sonoma (WSM - option chain) shares are rising today after the company reported earnings this morning, posting a fiscal-Q4 profit of $113.4 million, or $1.05 per share. Excluding one-time items, WSM earned $1.08 per share on revenue of $1.195 billion. Analysts had forecast a profit of $0.98 per share on revenue of $1.19 billion. WSM forecast Q1 earnings of 26 to 28 cents per share on revenue of $745 to $765 million. Analysts are expecting Q1 earnings of 27 cents per share on revenue of $748.5 million. WSM also lifted its quarterly dividend by 2 cents to 17 cents per share. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on WSM.

In very contrarian fashion, Bernie Schaeffer has used the market pullback to initiate two positions in retail stocks.

The editor of Schaeffer's Research -- who uses a combination of technical, fundamental and sentiment-based metrics to select his trading positions -- has bought shares of Sears Holdings (SHLD) and Williams-Sonoma (WSM).

Schaeffer explains, "I initiated a long position in Sears Holdings. Price action for SHLD has been strong, with the equity up 13 percent year-to-date and 75 percent in the past 52 weeks.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Lehman initiated the Retail Hardlines Sector with a Neutral. The firm initiated coverage of Home Depot (NYSE: HD) and Lowe's (NYSE: LOW) with Overweight ratings and Best Buy (NYSE: BBY), Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ: BBBY) and Williams Sonoma (NYSE: WSM) with Equal Weight ratings.
  
• Oppenheimer initiated Aventine Renewable (NYSE: AVR), Pacific Ethanol (NASDAQ: PEIX) and VeraSun Energy (NYSE: VSE) with Perform ratings. The firm is cautious on the industry due to higher feedstock costs.
  
• UBS initiated Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) and Omnicom Group (NYSE:OMC) with Buy ratings and an $11 target and $62 target, respectively. The firm views valuation as attractive.

• Morgan Stanley assumed coverage of International Flavors (NYSE: IFF) with an Overweight rating.
  
• Wachovia initiated CGI Group (NYSE: GIB) with a Market Perform rating.
  
• Leap Wireless (LEAP) was initiated at RBC Capital with a Sector Perform rating and $55 target.

During summer and winter breaks from college, I used to work in a Williams-Sonoma, Inc (NYSE: WSM) store in my local mall. As a moderately eloquent speaker and the only guy in the joint, I managed to make quite a few sales, particularly among the key "25-40 year old, vaguely unsatisfied married female" demographic that made up most of the store's customers. One day, as my father waited for me to get off work, he watched me talk a wealthy, sour-faced housewife into buying a $49 grape drainer. Shaking his head at my salesmanship, he wondered aloud how I could convince someone to shell out a pocketful of cash for what was essentially a porcelain bowl with holes in the bottom. I couldn't really answer him and, to this day, I wonder how Williams-Sonoma manages to market its wares, many of which are amazingly useless.

In the fourth quarter of 2007, Williams-Sonoma's profit rose almost 3%, but its first-quarter same-store 2008 profits are expected to fall by between 6% and 8.5%. The store is blaming its flagging sales on the real-estate slump. While it seems reasonable to expect that people would be disinclined to buy home goods when they're having a hard time covering their mortgage payments, Williams-Sonoma is missing the big picture. In addition to its position as a major player in the home decor market, W-S is also a luxury brand store and a narrow-focus mall retailer. Both of these types of stores are facing serious problems in the current economy, one for its inflated prices and the other for its lack of diversity. Consumers looking for kitchen implements are probably inclined to go to Lechters, which is a lot cheaper, or Wal-Mart and Target, both of which have a much wider selection of merchandise. If Williams-Sonoma wants to weather this storm, it should probably follow the lead of its Pottery Barn subsidiary and start cutting its prices. In the current economy, it's hard to imagine someone shelling out $49 for a grape drainer!

Gap Stores (NYSE: GPS) is expected to report EPS on November 21. GPS December option implied volatility of 41 is above its 26-week average of 32 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price risk.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE: WSM), a home-furnishings retailer, is expected to report Q3 EPS of 24 cents on November 15. RBCM says, "Macros very difficult; too soon for longs, but scarcity value could increase." WSM November 30 straddle is priced at $2.80. WSM December option implied volatility of 55 is above its 26-week average of 38 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

Daily options Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• FTN Midwest initiated shares of Ethan Allen Interiors Inc (NYSE: ETH), Pier 1 Imports (NYSE: PIR) and Bed Bath & Beyond Inc (NASDAQ: BBBY) with Neutral ratings and Williams-Sonoma Inc (NYSE: WSM) with a Buy rating.

• BMO Capital started Bronco Drilling Co (NASDAQ: BRNC), Pioneer Drilling Co (AMEX: PDC) and Union Drilling, IncNASDAQ: UDRL) with Outperform ratings.

• CIBC started Chemtura Corp (NYSE: CEM) with a Sector Underperformer rating and $11 target on valuation.

• C.E. Unterberg started Altus Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: ALTU) with a Buy rating and $12 target, believing the company's efforts to develop the first juvenile formulation of a pancreatic enzyme will be a key growth driver.