Williams Companies, Inc. (The) $WMB Shares Sold by D.A. Davidson & CO.

Key Points

• D.A. Davidson reduced its Williams Companies stake by 19.3% in the third quarter, selling 17,624 shares and retaining 73,671 shares valued at approximately $5.0 million. Other institutional investors increased their positions, and institutions collectively own 86.44% of WMB.
• Analysts remain bullish on WMB: the stock has a consensus “Buy” rating and an average price target of $86.06, compared with a recent share price of $74.32. Williams also reported quarterly EPS of $0.50 and revenue of $3.05 billion, with revenue rising 9.8% year over year.
• Williams reaffirmed its quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share, or $2.10 annually, representing a 2.8% yield. However, insiders have sold 19,000 shares over the past 90 days, and the dividend payout ratio remains high at 83.67%.

D.A. Davidson & CO. trimmed its stake in Williams Companies, Inc. (The) (NYSE:WMB - Free Report) by 19.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 73,671 shares of the pipeline company's stock after selling 17,624 shares during the quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO.'s holdings in Williams Companies were worth $5,007,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. BOKF NA raised its holdings in Williams Companies by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter. BOKF NA now owns 419,791 shares of the pipeline company's stock worth $28,533,000 after buying an additional 17,889 shares during the period. North Dakota State Investment Board increased its position in shares of Williams Companies by 3.1% in the third quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board now owns 37,343 shares of the pipeline company's stock worth $2,538,000 after acquiring an additional 1,129 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Williams Companies in the third quarter worth approximately $148,000. BLB&B Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Williams Companies by 644.2% in the third quarter. BLB&B Advisors LLC now owns 86,149 shares of the pipeline company's stock worth $5,856,000 after acquiring an additional 74,573 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Conning Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Williams Companies by 11.3% during the third quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 522,423 shares of the pipeline company's stock valued at $35,509,000 after acquiring an additional 53,003 shares during the period. 86.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Williams Companies

In other Williams Companies news, SVP Terrance Wilson sold 13,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.87, for a total transaction of $973,310.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 268,159 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $20,077,064.33. The trade was a 4.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders have sold 19,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,401,430 over the last 90 days. 0.47% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Williams Companies in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $82.00 price target on shares of Williams Companies in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Barclays started coverage on shares of Williams Companies in a report on Thursday, October 1st. They set an "overweight" rating and a $82.00 price target on the stock. Melius Research initiated coverage on shares of Williams Companies in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. They issued a "buy" rating and a $84.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Williams Companies in a report on Monday, September 21st. 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 company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $86.06.

Williams Companies Stock Performance

Shares of Williams Companies stock opened at $74.32 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $72.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $72.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $90.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.61, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.64. Williams Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $56.19 and a 52 week high of $80.07.

Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The pipeline company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.50. The firm had revenue of $3.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.83 billion. Williams Companies had a return on equity of 18.49% and a net margin of 25.17%. The company's revenue was up 9.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.46 EPS. Williams Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.350-2.350 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict 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 given a dividend of $0.5250 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. Williams Companies's dividend payout ratio is 83.67%.

Key Headlines Impacting 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

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.