Vise Technologies Inc. raised its stake in Williams Companies, Inc. (The) (NYSE:WMB – Free Report) by 107.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 127,595 shares of the pipeline company’s stock after buying an additional 66,162 shares during the period. Vise Technologies Inc.’s holdings in Williams Companies were worth $8,673,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Williams Companies during the second quarter worth $3,320,606,000. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of Williams Companies by 43.4% in the 2nd 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. Amundi lifted its stake in shares of Williams Companies by 20.9% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 11,710,478 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $852,289,000 after acquiring an additional 2,020,899 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in shares of Williams Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at $596,077,000. Finally, Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP acquired a new stake in shares of Williams Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at $500,305,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.44% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Williams Companies in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. They set a “buy” rating and a $85.00 price objective on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on Williams Companies from $85.00 to $83.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 14th. Melius Research assumed coverage on Williams Companies in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. They set a “buy” rating and a $84.00 price target on the stock. Scotiabank reduced their price target on Williams Companies from $86.00 to $85.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Williams Companies from $99.00 to $103.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Williams Companies presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $86.06.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on WMB
Williams Companies Stock Performance
Shares of Williams Companies stock opened at $74.32 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $90.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.61, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.62. Williams Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $56.19 and a twelve month high of $80.07. The company’s fifty day moving average is $72.21 and its 200 day moving average is $72.28. The company has a quick ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83.
Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The pipeline company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.50. The business had revenue of $3.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.83 billion. Williams Companies had a return on equity of 18.49% and a net margin of 25.17%. Williams Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.46 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Williams Companies, Inc. will post 2.42 EPS for the current year.
Williams Companies Dividend Announcement
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.5250 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. Williams Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 83.67%.
Trending Headlines about Williams Companies
Here are the key news stories impacting Williams Companies this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Dividend reaffirmed: Williams approved its regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.525 per share, equivalent to $2.10 annually. The payment is scheduled for December 28, 2026, for shareholders of record on December 11. The decision reinforces WMB’s appeal as an income-oriented pipeline investment. How Raised Earnings Estimates At Williams Companies Has Changed Its Investment Story
- Positive Sentiment: Longer-term earnings estimates increased: US Capital Advisors raised its EPS forecasts for the first, second, third and fourth quarters of 2027, as well as full-year 2027 to $2.24 from $2.07 and full-year 2028 to $2.81 from $2.67. The revisions suggest analysts see improving growth potential from Williams’ infrastructure and gathering operations. Williams Companies analyst estimate revisions
- Positive Sentiment: Options activity indicates bullish positioning: Traders purchased a large volume of WMB call options, signaling that some market participants are positioning for additional upside, although options activity does not guarantee a change in fundamentals. Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Williams Companies Call Options
- Neutral Sentiment: Q3 earnings expectations remain the immediate focus: Analysts are evaluating operating metrics such as gathering volumes and segment EBITDA ahead of Williams’ quarterly report. Current estimates center on approximately $0.51 in Q3 EPS, with attention on whether results support the company’s full-year outlook. Gear Up for The Williams Companies Q3 Earnings
- Negative Sentiment: Near-term estimates were trimmed: US Capital Advisors reduced its Q3 2026 EPS forecast from $0.54 to $0.51 and its full-year 2026 forecast from $2.34 to $2.33. The revisions are small but could limit near-term enthusiasm ahead of earnings.
- Negative Sentiment: Interest-rate risk remains a concern: Commentary warns that rising rates could pressure the broader bull market. Although pipelines are viewed as relatively defensive, higher borrowing costs can weigh on valuation and dividend-focused stocks such as WMB. Why Rising Rates Could Break the Bull Market
Insider Activity
In related news, SVP Terrance Wilson sold 13,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The shares were 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 $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 available at this hyperlink. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 17,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,260,130. 0.47% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Williams Companies Company Profile
The Williams Companies, Inc is an energy infrastructure company headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Founded in 1908 as Williams Brothers, the company has evolved from an early pipeline contractor into a major operator of natural gas infrastructure in the United States.
Williams primarily gathers, processes, transports and stores natural gas and natural gas liquids. Its assets include interstate and regional pipelines, gas processing and fractionation facilities, storage operations, and gathering systems that connect producers with utilities, industrial customers, power generators and other energy markets.
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