Maryland State Retirement & Pension System Sells 49,929 Shares of Williams Companies, Inc. (The) $WMB

Maryland State Retirement & Pension System cut its stake in shares of Williams Companies, Inc. (The) (NYSE:WMB) by 4.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,162,444 shares of the pipeline company’s stock after selling 49,929 shares during the period. Williams Companies accounts for about 1.7% of Maryland State Retirement & Pension System’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System owned 0.10% of Williams Companies worth $84,603,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Towne Trust Company N.A increased its holdings in Williams Companies by 60.2% in the 4th quarter. Towne Trust Company N.A now owns 431 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 162 shares during the period. Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Williams Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Clearstead Trust LLC boosted its position in shares of Williams Companies by 62.2% during the 4th quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 485 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Williams Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, WHI TRUST Co LLC bought a new position in Williams Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.44% of the company’s stock.

Williams Companies Price Performance

WMB stock opened at $76.04 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $74.30 and a 200-day moving average price of $71.09. The company has a market capitalization of $92.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.35, a PEG ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.57. Williams Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $55.82 and a 52-week high of $80.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 0.83.

Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) last announced its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The pipeline company reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.63 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $3.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.28 billion. Williams Companies had a return on equity of 18.34% and a net margin of 23.39%.Williams Companies’s revenue for the quarter was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.60 EPS. Williams Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.200-2.380 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Williams Companies, Inc. will post 2.44 EPS for the current year.

Williams Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 12th were given a dividend of $0.525 per share. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 12th. Williams Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 92.11%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on WMB shares. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce raised their target price on Williams Companies from $83.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “outperformer” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on Williams Companies from $82.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Williams Companies from $73.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Truist Financial started coverage on shares of Williams Companies in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $84.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of Williams Companies from $85.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Williams Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $83.56.

More Williams Companies News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Williams announced a $5.34 billion investment from a Blackstone-led consortium for a 49% noncontrolling stake in five power generation projects. The deal should help fund Williams’ AI-related power infrastructure buildout while preserving control of the assets and improving financial flexibility. Williams Secures Blackstone-Led $5.34B Deal for AI Power Push
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Williams from $98 to $99 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling continued confidence in the stock’s upside. Morgan Stanley price target update
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports highlighted the Blackstone-led investment as a strong validation of Williams’ Power Innovation strategy and its positioning to benefit from rising AI-driven data center electricity demand. Williams Lands $5.34 Billion AI Power Deal With Blackstone-Led Group
• Neutral Sentiment: Williams said it will report second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 3 and hold its earnings call on Aug. 4, which keeps investors focused on upcoming execution and guidance. Williams to Report Second-Quarter 2026 Financial Results on Aug. 3
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on Williams’ ongoing energy infrastructure expansion and broader natural gas sector trends suggests the company is still investing for long-term growth, though near-term gas-price pressure remains a risk. Why Is Williams (NYSE:WMB) Expanding Its Energy Infrastructure?
• Negative Sentiment: Sector commentary noted that near-term natural gas price pressure could weigh on Williams and other gas-focused names, even as longer-term demand trends remain constructive. Natural Gas Stocks: Short-Term Pain, Long-Term Opportunity?

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Glen G. Jasek sold 2,500 shares of Williams Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.15, for a total value of $195,375.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 54,101 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,227,993.15. The trade was a 4.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO Larry C. Larsen sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.48, for a total transaction of $917,760.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 98,219 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,511,789.12. This represents a 10.89% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 68,500 shares of company stock valued at $5,182,655 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.47% of the company’s stock.

About Williams Companies

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.