Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) Research Coverage Started at Stifel Nicolaus

by · The Markets Daily

Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB – Free Report) in a report released on Thursday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage issued a buy rating and a $85.00 price target on the pipeline company’s stock.

WMB has been the topic of a number of other reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Williams Companies from $89.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on Williams Companies from $83.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Williams Companies in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Williams Companies in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Williams Companies from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Williams Companies has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $85.67.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Williams Companies

Williams Companies Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:WMB opened at $72.80 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $73.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $73.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83, a current ratio of 0.48 and a quick ratio of 0.43. Williams Companies has a one year low of $56.19 and a one year high of $80.07. The company has a market cap of $89.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.00, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.59.

Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The pipeline company reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.50. Williams Companies had a net margin of 25.17% and a return on equity of 18.49%. The firm had revenue of $3.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.83 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.46 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.8% on a year-over-year basis. Williams Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.350-2.350 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Williams Companies will post 2.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 11th will be given a dividend of $0.525 per share. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 11th. Williams Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 83.67%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Terrance Wilson sold 13,000 shares of Williams Companies stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.87, for a total value of $973,310.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 268,159 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,077,064.33. The trade was a 4.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders sold 19,000 shares of company stock worth $1,414,050 over the last quarter. 0.47% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Williams Companies

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in Williams Companies by 7,567.4% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 162,591,616 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $12,087,061,000 after buying an additional 160,471,058 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Williams Companies in the second quarter valued at about $3,320,606,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Williams Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $747,749,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of Williams Companies by 43.4% during the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,097,208 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $2,460,446,000 after acquiring an additional 10,013,946 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Williams Companies during the second quarter worth about $596,077,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.44% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Williams Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Williams Companies this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Williams announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.53 per share, payable September 28 to eligible shareholders. The payment reinforces the company’s income appeal, although the September 11 ex-dividend date can also create a mechanical downward adjustment in the share price. Williams Companies Inc’s Dividend Analysis
  • Positive Sentiment: Stifel initiated coverage with a Buy rating and an $85 price target, implying meaningful upside from recent trading levels. Stifel coverage
  • Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank maintained a Sector Outperform rating and reduced its target only modestly, from $86 to $85. The continued bullish rating suggests analysts see value despite the adjustment.
  • Neutral Sentiment: Growing LNG, NGL and crude-oil export demand is driving increased midstream mergers and acquisitions. The trend could improve the industry’s infrastructure outlook, but the article does not identify a direct transaction involving Williams. Export and power demand drive M&A wave
  • Neutral Sentiment: Options activity was unusually high, with investors purchasing 17,029 put contracts—54% above average. This signals increased hedging or bearish positioning, but it does not necessarily predict the stock’s direction.
  • Negative Sentiment: A court ruling reversed a key water permit for Williams’ NESE pipeline, creating another regulatory obstacle. Delays or additional costs could weaken the project’s expected growth contribution and are likely the most significant source of near-term pressure. Williams NESE pipeline court ruling
  • Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary highlights Williams’ competitive position in the Northeast, while another report compares its performance with the Dow; neither item provides a clearly new earnings or valuation catalyst. Williams tackles the Northeast

Williams Companies Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Williams Companies, Inc is an energy infrastructure company focused primarily on gathering, processing, transporting and storing natural gas and natural gas liquids. The company provides the infrastructure and related services that connect natural gas supplies with utilities, power generators, industrial customers, liquefied natural gas facilities and other markets.

Williams operates a large network of interstate and regional natural gas pipelines, gathering systems, processing facilities and storage assets across the United States.

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