Williams Companies, Inc. (The) $WMB Shares Bought by Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Williams Companies, Inc. (The) (NYSE:WMB) by 27.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 200,048 shares of the pipeline company’s stock after purchasing an additional 43,362 shares during the quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.’s holdings in Williams Companies were worth $13,597,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in WMB. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Williams Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $3,320,606,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in Williams Companies by 43.4% in the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,097,208 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $2,460,446,000 after buying an additional 10,013,946 shares during the period. Amundi increased its position in Williams Companies by 20.9% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 11,710,478 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $852,289,000 after buying an additional 2,020,899 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in Williams Companies in the second quarter worth $596,077,000. Finally, Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP bought a new stake in Williams Companies in the second quarter valued at $500,305,000. Institutional investors own 86.44% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMB has been the subject of several analyst reports. Barclays began coverage on shares of Williams Companies in a report on Thursday, October 1st. They set an “overweight” rating and a $82.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Williams Companies in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of Williams Companies from $85.00 to $83.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Williams Companies from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Williams Companies in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $85.00 price objective on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Williams Companies presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $86.06.

Williams Companies Price Performance

Shares of WMB stock opened at $74.08 on Wednesday. Williams Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $56.19 and a 12-month high of $80.07. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $72.14 and a 200 day simple moving average of $72.06.

Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) last announced its 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. The business had revenue of $3.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.83 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.46 EPS. The firm’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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Williams Companies, Inc. will post 2.42 EPS for the current year.

Williams Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.5250 per share. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 11th.

Key Stories Impacting Williams Companies

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

• Positive Sentiment: Dividend maintained: Williams declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.525 per share, or $2.10 annualized. The dividend is payable December 28 to shareholders of record as of December 11, reinforcing the company’s income appeal and signaling confidence in recurring cash flow. Williams Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend Williams Keeps Quarterly Dividend at $0.525 a Share
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings optimism: Analysts expect Williams’ third-quarter results to benefit from the Socrates Phase 1 project, the Momentum acquisition and strong natural-gas demand. Recent earnings previews also point to improving earnings expectations and the possibility of a quarterly beat, supporting buying interest ahead of the report. Williams to Report Q3 Earnings Williams Companies Earnings Expected to Grow
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity: Traders purchased 151,361 call options, approximately 997% above the average daily call volume. The activity suggests some traders are positioning for further gains or a favorable earnings reaction, though it is a speculative signal rather than confirmation of fundamentals.
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming catalyst: Williams is scheduled to report third-quarter earnings shortly, making the results, management’s outlook and project updates important near-term drivers for WMB. The company previously reported revenue growth and reaffirmed full-year 2026 EPS guidance of $2.35.
• Negative Sentiment: Cost pressure: Rising expenses could offset some of the benefits from stronger gas demand, new projects and acquisitions. Investors will be watching whether cost inflation affects margins or the company’s earnings outlook.

Insider Activity at Williams Companies

In related news, SVP Terrance Wilson sold 13,000 shares of Williams Companies stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.87, for a total transaction of $973,310.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 268,159 shares in the company, valued at $20,077,064.33. The trade was a 4.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders sold 19,000 shares of company stock worth $1,401,430 over the last quarter. 0.47% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Williams Companies 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.