Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Buys 33,653 Shares of Williams Companies, Inc. (The) $WMB

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA increased its stake in shares of Williams Companies, Inc. (The) (NYSE:WMB) by 0.8% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 4,139,269 shares of the pipeline company’s stock after buying an additional 33,653 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s holdings in Williams Companies were worth $281,352,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Main Street Group LTD acquired a new position in Williams Companies during the first quarter worth $26,000. James T. Borello RIA purchased a new position in shares of Williams Companies during the third quarter worth $27,000. Allied Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Williams Companies during the second quarter worth $28,000. Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Williams Companies during the second quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Bfsg LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Williams Companies in the third quarter valued at $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.44% of the company’s stock.

Williams Companies Stock Performance

Shares of WMB stock opened at $64.08 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48. Williams Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $57.80 and a 52 week high of $80.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $80.11 billion, a PE ratio of 25.23, a P/E/G ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.62. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $71.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $72.46.

Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The pipeline company reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.54. Williams Companies had a net margin of 24.99% and a return on equity of 17.02%. The business had revenue of $3.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.99 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.49 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Williams Companies, Inc. will post 2.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 28th. Investors of record on Friday, December 11th will be issued a $0.5250 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 11th. This represents a $2.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. Williams Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 82.68%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on WMB shares. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Williams Companies from $83.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $85.00 target price on Williams Companies in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Williams Companies from $89.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Williams Companies from $99.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of Williams Companies from $85.00 to $83.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Williams Companies presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $86.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Terrance Wilson sold 13,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 268,159 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,077,064.33. The trade was a 4.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 19,000 shares of company stock worth $1,408,470. Insiders own 0.47% of the company’s stock.

Williams Companies Company Profile

Williams Companies is an energy infrastructure company focused primarily on gathering, processing, transporting and storing natural gas. Its systems connect natural gas-producing regions with utilities, power generators, industrial customers and other energy markets.

The company operates pipelines and related facilities across the United States. Its Transco pipeline system carries natural gas from the Gulf Coast and other supply areas to customers along the East Coast, while its gathering and processing operations serve producers in regions including the Northeast, the West and the Gulf Coast.

Williams traces its roots to 1908, when brothers Miller and David Williams established a construction business that later expanded into energy infrastructure.