Janus Henderson Group PLC Sells 1,010,091 Shares of Williams Companies, Inc. (The) $WMB

Key Points

• Janus Henderson Group cut its Williams Companies stake by 88.4% in the first quarter, selling 1,010,091 shares and retaining 131,968 shares valued at approximately $9.6 million. Institutional investors collectively own 86.44% of WMB.
• Williams reported quarterly EPS of $0.50, matching consensus, while revenue rose 9.8% year over year to $3.05 billion and exceeded estimates. The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.525, equivalent to a 2.9% annualized yield.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus “Buy” rating and an average price target of about $83.62 versus a recent share price of $71.90; several firms recently raised their targets.

Janus Henderson Group PLC trimmed its position in Williams Companies, Inc. (The) (NYSE:WMB - Free Report) by 88.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 131,968 shares of the pipeline company's stock after selling 1,010,091 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC's holdings in Williams Companies were worth $9,600,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Towne Trust Company N.A lifted its holdings in Williams Companies by 60.2% during the fourth quarter. Towne Trust Company N.A now owns 431 shares of the pipeline company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares during the last quarter. Main Street Group LTD bought a new position in Williams Companies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new position in Williams Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Clearstead Trust LLC grew its stake in Williams Companies by 62.2% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 485 shares of the pipeline company's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Williams Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors own 86.44% of the company's stock.

Williams Companies Trading Up 0.5%

NYSE:WMB opened at $71.90 on Thursday. Williams Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $55.82 and a one year high of $80.07. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $73.15 and its 200 day simple moving average is $72.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $87.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.64, a PEG ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83, a current ratio of 0.48 and a quick ratio of 0.76.

Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The pipeline company reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.50. Williams Companies had a return on equity of 18.49% and a net margin of 25.17%.The firm had revenue of $3.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.83 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.46 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 9.8% on a year-over-year basis. Williams Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.350-2.350 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Williams Companies, Inc. will post 2.35 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. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 11th will be paid a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 11th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Williams Companies's payout ratio is currently 92.11%.

Key Headlines Impacting Williams Companies

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

• Positive Sentiment: $5.5 billion Momentum Midstream acquisition: Williams agreed to acquire Momentum Midstream, adding more than 4,000 miles of Gulf Coast-focused natural-gas pipelines. The assets connect the Haynesville region with LNG export facilities, power-generation customers and industrial demand, potentially strengthening WMB’s long-term growth and strategic position. Reuters: Williams to buy Momentum, raises 2026 EBITDA forecast
• Positive Sentiment: Raised outlook and growth catalysts: Second-quarter commentary indicated approximately 6% EBITDA growth, while management raised its 2026 EBITDA forecast. Exposure to LNG exports, data-center and power demand, and the Haynesville basin supports the company’s growth narrative. Williams Companies Q2 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains strong: Wells Fargo raised its WMB price target from $89 to $90 and maintained an “overweight” rating. Broader analyst coverage remains bullish, with a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target near $83.56. Benzinga: Wells Fargo raises Williams price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly results were mixed: EPS of $0.50 increased from $0.46 a year earlier and matched the consensus cited by some sources, while revenue rose 9.8% to $3.05 billion and exceeded estimates. However, other estimates placed EPS expectations at $0.52, indicating a modest earnings miss. Williams Companies Q2 earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Acquisition financing and guidance risks: The Momentum transaction increases Williams’ scale but also requires substantial capital and successful integration. Fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $2.35 is below the roughly $2.41 analyst average, which could restrain near-term upside.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Senior Vice President Terrance Lane Wilson sold 2,000 shares for approximately $141,300, reducing his direct ownership by 0.71%. The sale is small relative to his remaining stake but is a modest cautionary signal. Williams Companies SVP sells shares

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on WMB shares. Barclays raised their price objective on Williams Companies from $73.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Williams Companies from $88.00 to $89.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Scotiabank upped their target price on Williams Companies from $85.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Williams Companies from $89.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Williams Companies from $78.00 to $83.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $83.62.

Insider Activity at Williams Companies

In related news, SVP Glen G. Jasek sold 2,500 shares of Williams Companies stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.15, for a total value of $195,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 54,101 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,227,993.15. This trade represents a 4.42% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Terrance Lane Wilson sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.65, for a total transaction of $141,300.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 281,159 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,863,883.35. This trade represents a 0.71% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 18,500 shares of company stock valued at $1,402,755 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.47% of the company's stock.

Williams Companies Profile

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.

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