Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. Sells 7,724 Shares of Williams Companies, Inc. (The) $WMB

Key Points

• Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. reduced its stake in Williams Companies by 3.7%, selling 7,724 shares, leaving them with 203,101 shares valued at $12.14 million.
• Williams Companies reported a missed earnings estimate for the last quarter, with earnings of $0.46 per share and revenue of $2.78 billion, lower than analyst expectations.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.50, representing an annual yield of 3.5%, with a payout ratio of 100.5% as of its latest financials.

Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Williams Companies, Inc. (The) (NYSE:WMB - Free Report) by 3.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 203,101 shares of the pipeline company's stock after selling 7,724 shares during the period. Williams Companies accounts for about 1.2% of Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc.'s holdings in Williams Companies were worth $12,137,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in WMB. EP Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Williams Companies by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 17,889 shares of the pipeline company's stock worth $968,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. Castleview Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Williams Companies by 4.2% during the first quarter. Castleview Partners LLC now owns 4,492 shares of the pipeline company's stock worth $268,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP grew its stake in shares of Williams Companies by 20.3% during the first quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,095 shares of the pipeline company's stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. Napa Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of Williams Companies by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Napa Wealth Management now owns 7,190 shares of the pipeline company's stock valued at $389,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mirador Capital Partners LP raised its position in Williams Companies by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. Mirador Capital Partners LP now owns 16,712 shares of the pipeline company's stock worth $999,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. 86.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Williams Companies Stock Performance

Shares of WMB stock opened at $57.14 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $69.68 billion, a PE ratio of 28.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.65. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $58.17 and a 200-day moving average of $58.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a current ratio of 0.54 and a quick ratio of 0.48. Williams Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $43.98 and a one year high of $63.45.

Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The pipeline company reported $0.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.49 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $2.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.90 billion. Williams Companies had a net margin of 21.63% and a return on equity of 16.23%. Williams Companies's quarterly revenue was up 19.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.43 EPS. Williams Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.010-2.190 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Williams Companies, Inc. will post 2.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 29th. Investors of record on Friday, September 12th will be given a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 12th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.5%. Williams Companies's payout ratio is currently 100.50%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. TD Cowen started coverage on Williams Companies in a research note on Monday, July 7th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $67.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen lowered Williams Companies from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Argus reissued a "buy" rating and set a $66.00 price objective on shares of Williams Companies in a report on Thursday, August 14th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Williams Companies from $67.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Williams Companies from $59.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $62.86.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Williams Companies news, SVP Terrance Lane Wilson sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.68, for a total value of $119,360.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 313,645 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,718,333.60. The trade was a 0.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Larry C. Larsen sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.47, for a total transaction of $263,115.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 77,612 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,537,973.64. The trade was a 5.48% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 8,500 shares of company stock valued at $507,875. 0.44% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Williams Companies Profile

The Williams Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy infrastructure company primarily in the United States. It operates through Transmission & Gulf of Mexico, Northeast G&P, West, and Gas & NGL Marketing Services segments. The Transmission & Gulf of Mexico segment comprises natural gas pipelines; Transco, Northwest pipeline, MountainWest, and related natural gas storage facilities; and natural gas gathering and processing, and crude oil production handling and transportation assets in the Gulf Coast region.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Williams Companies, Inc. (The) (NYSE:WMB - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.