Williams Companies, Inc. (The) $WMB Stock Position Lifted by Bokf Na

Key Points

• Bokf Na raised its stake in Williams Companies by 12.4% to 334,534 shares (worth about $21.2M), and institutional investors now own roughly 86.44% of the stock.
• Analysts are lifting targets (Morgan Stanley to $90, others in the mid-to-high $80s) as refreshed growth capex assumptions and a jump in U.S. natural gas prices boost sentiment and re-rate the stock.
• Dividend increased to $0.525 quarterly (annualized $2.10, yield 2.8%), but the payout ratio is high at 98.13%, a potential concern for sustainability.

Bokf Na lifted its position in Williams Companies, Inc. (The) (NYSE:WMB - Free Report) by 12.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 334,534 shares of the pipeline company's stock after acquiring an additional 36,811 shares during the quarter. Bokf Na's holdings in Williams Companies were worth $21,193,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in WMB. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in Williams Companies during the second quarter worth $32,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new stake in Williams Companies during the third quarter valued at $35,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in Williams Companies during the third quarter valued at $36,000. South Plains Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Williams Companies by 289.7% during the second quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. now owns 608 shares of the pipeline company's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 452 shares during the period. Finally, OLD Second National Bank of Aurora raised its holdings in shares of Williams Companies by 71.2% during the third quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 630 shares of the pipeline company's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 262 shares during the period. 86.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Williams Companies News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its WMB target to $90 (from $83) and reiterated an Overweight rating, calling out scope for multiple expansion — a direct catalyst supporting upside in the stock. Morgan Stanley Sees Multiple Expansion Ahead, Raises Williams Companies (WMB) Target
• Positive Sentiment: Street fair‑value models and independent coverage have been repriced higher (example: a fair value update to $76.75), reflecting refreshed growth capex and stronger long‑run EBITDA assumptions — supportive for investor sentiment and valuation. Why The Story Around Williams Companies (WMB) Is Shifting With New Targets And Growth Capex
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America and other brokers have recently lifted price targets (one note to $87), adding to the cluster of higher Street targets that can drive buy‑side flows. The Williams Companies, Inc. (WMB) Price Target Raised to $87
• Positive Sentiment: U.S. natural gas prices jumped after a Qatar LNG disruption, boosting near‑term export demand expectations and highlighting Williams’ role in U.S. gas infrastructure and Gulf Coast flows — a demand shock that benefits midstream cash flows. U.S. Natural Gas Prices Rise on Global LNG Supply Disruption
• Positive Sentiment: Industry commentary is rotating toward gas-focused opportunities (vs. oil), naming Williams as a top stock to watch amid higher export volumes — favorable thematic support for multiples and investor interest. Forget Oil, Expert Sees ‘bigger Opportunity’ In Natural Gas Amid War
• Neutral Sentiment: Williams’ Transco unit commenced a registered exchange offer for two series of senior notes (2036 and 2056) — a financing/curve management move that investors should watch for redemption/rollover terms but that is not an earnings surprise. Williams’ Transco Commences Registered Exchange Offer for Its 5.100% Senior Notes Due 2036 and 5.750% Senior Notes Due 2056
• Neutral Sentiment: Company senior leaders are presenting at CERAWeek 2026 — useful for investor relations and visibility into strategy/capex, but more of a medium‑term informational item than an immediate earnings driver. Williams Leadership to Share Insights on Energy Infrastructure and Innovation at CERAWeek 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of energy income ETFs that hold midstream names (including WMB) has driven retail/income‑seeking flows into the sector — supportive for liquidity but contains idiosyncratic distribution/risk considerations for ETF investors. Retirees Chasing Monthly Cash Flow From This ETF May Be Surprised by the Fine Print

Williams Companies Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:WMB opened at $74.41 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83. The company's 50-day moving average price is $67.77 and its 200 day moving average price is $62.79. The company has a market cap of $90.89 billion, a PE ratio of 34.77, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.63. Williams Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $51.58 and a fifty-two week high of $76.87.

Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The pipeline company reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.57 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $3.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.10 billion. Williams Companies had a return on equity of 17.32% and a net margin of 21.90%.During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.47 EPS. Williams Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.200-2.380 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Williams Companies, Inc. will post 2.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Williams Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. This is an increase from Williams Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Williams Companies's payout ratio is 98.13%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on WMB. Tudor Pickering raised shares of Williams Companies from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, December 1st. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Williams Companies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Scotiabank raised Williams Companies from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and upped their target price for the company from $66.00 to $84.00 in a report on Friday, February 13th. UBS Group increased their price target on Williams Companies from $78.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Williams Companies from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $75.86.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Mary A. Hausman sold 10,107 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.91, for a total value of $757,115.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 17,230 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,290,699.30. This represents a 36.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Terrance Lane Wilson sold 27,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.92, for a total value of $1,968,840.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 293,159 shares in the company, valued at $21,377,154.28. This trade represents a 8.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 41,107 shares of company stock valued at $3,009,215 in the last quarter. 0.44% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Williams Companies Company 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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