Williams Companies, Inc. (The) $WMB Shares Acquired by Alps Advisors Inc.

Alps Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Williams Companies, Inc. (The) (NYSE:WMB) by 4.1% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 457,543 shares of the pipeline company’s stock after buying an additional 17,974 shares during the period. Alps Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Williams Companies were worth $28,985,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Private Wealth Management Group LLC raised its stake in Williams Companies by 104.8% in the 2nd quarter. Private Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 469 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. Hartford Funds Management Co LLC acquired a new position in shares of Williams Companies in the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new position in shares of Williams Companies in the second quarter worth about $32,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Williams Companies in the second quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Williams Companies during the third quarter worth about $35,000. 86.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Williams Companies Stock Down 0.7%

WMB opened at $66.96 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $61.86 and a two-hundred day moving average of $60.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $81.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.52, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.65. Williams Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $51.58 and a fifty-two week high of $68.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.42.

Williams Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. This is a boost from Williams Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Williams Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 103.09%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Williams Companies from $71.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Williams Companies from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Tudor Pickering upgraded shares of Williams Companies from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Williams Companies from $69.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on Williams Companies from $65.00 to $66.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $68.64.

Williams Companies News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reiterated a Buy and kept a lofty $83 price target, signaling continued bullish conviction from a major sell‑side firm. Morgan Stanley Upheld Buy Rating for The Williams Companies (WMB)
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raised its price target on WMB to $76, another sign of upward analyst revision that can support the stock over the medium term. Jefferies Raises Williams Companies Price Target to $76
• Positive Sentiment: US Capital Advisors increased its Q1 2026 and FY2027 EPS estimates (Q1 to $0.61; FY2027 to $2.49), which points to improving company earnings expectations and can lift forward valuation.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks moved its rating from “strong sell” to “hold” — an upward revision but still cautious, suggesting mixed conviction among smaller analyst shops. Zacks Upgrade Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Energy‑sector momentum (XLE leadership, weather‑driven natural gas draws) is a macro tailwind for pipeline names like WMB, since higher gas demand supports volumes and tolling revenue — but sector earnings for majors have been mixed, keeping sentiment volatile.
• Negative Sentiment: US Capital Advisors also published a piece expressing a negative view on WMB’s FY2026 earnings outlook, which may temper enthusiasm from the estimate bumps and contributes to short‑term selling pressure. US Capital Advisors Negative View of WMB FY2026 Earnings

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Williams Companies news, SVP Terrance Lane Wilson sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.53, for a total transaction of $242,120.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 302,645 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,319,101.85. This represents a 1.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 8,000 shares of company stock valued at $498,700. Corporate insiders own 0.44% of the company’s stock.

About Williams Companies

Williams Companies, Inc (NYSE: WMB) is a U.S.-based energy infrastructure company focused on the midstream segment of the natural gas value chain. The company develops, owns and operates assets that gather, process, transport and store natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs). Its operations support the movement of gas from production areas to end users including utilities, power generators, industrial customers and export facilities.

Williams’s product and service offering includes interstate and intrastate pipeline transmission, gas-gathering systems, processing facilities that remove impurities and separate NGLs, storage services and fractionation and transportation of NGL products.