Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) Sets New 1-Year High Following Strong Earnings

The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $39.99 and last traded at $39.89, with a volume of 966804 shares. The stock had previously closed at $39.06.

The pipeline company reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.10. Williams Companies had a net margin of 29.22% and a return on equity of 16.20%. The company had revenue of $2.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.69 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.56 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 10.1% on a year-over-year basis.

Williams Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 7th will be given a $0.475 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 7th. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.86%. Williams Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 72.52%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Truist Financial boosted their price target on Williams Companies from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 25th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Williams Companies from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 11th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Williams Companies from $43.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 12th. US Capital Advisors lowered Williams Companies from an “overweight” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 29th. Finally, Wolfe Research reiterated an “underperform” rating and set a $34.00 price target on shares of Williams Companies in a report on Thursday, April 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $39.22.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Williams Companies

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WMB. Rheos Capital Works Inc. grew its stake in shares of Williams Companies by 59.0% in the 4th quarter. Rheos Capital Works Inc. now owns 660,000 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $22,988,000 after purchasing an additional 245,000 shares during the last quarter. Autumn Glory Partners LLC increased its stake in Williams Companies by 28.1% in the 3rd quarter. Autumn Glory Partners LLC now owns 107,609 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $3,625,000 after buying an additional 23,579 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in Williams Companies by 35.1% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 9,553,779 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $321,867,000 after buying an additional 2,482,331 shares during the last quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Williams Companies by 45.3% in the 3rd quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. now owns 6,545,151 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $220,506,000 after acquiring an additional 2,040,993 shares during the period. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Williams Companies by 3,338.2% in the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 352,104 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $12,264,000 after acquiring an additional 341,863 shares in the last quarter. 86.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Williams Companies Stock Up 0.1 %

The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.65 billion, a PE ratio of 14.93, a PEG ratio of 6.07 and a beta of 1.05. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $38.01 and its 200-day moving average is $36.06.

Williams Companies Company 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.