Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc., a prominent investment management firm, recently disclosed its new stake in The Williams Companies, Inc. This information was revealed in the company’s most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission during the second quarter of this year. According to the filing, Ferguson Wellman purchased 6,344 shares of the pipeline company’s stock, valuing approximately $207,000.
The acquisition of shares by Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. signifies their confidence in the future growth potential of The Williams Companies. This move demonstrates the firm’s strategy to diversify its investment portfolio and allocate resources to companies with promising prospects.
Williams Companies is a notable player within the pipeline industry and has recently reported positive financial results. In their earnings report released on August 2nd, the company announced an impressive EPS (earnings per share) of $0.42 for the quarter. This surpassed analysts’ consensus estimates by $0.03.
Moreover, Williams Companies showcased a robust return on equity of 17.35%, indicating its effective use of shareholders’ investments to generate profits. Additionally, the company achieved a net margin of 23.07%, demonstrating its ability to efficiently manage expenses and maximize profitability.
Despite slightly lower-than-expected revenue figures for the quarter at $2.48 billion compared to analysts’ projections of $2.66 billion, Williams Companies demonstrated resilience amidst challenging market conditions. Their revenue decreased only slightly (0.3%) when compared to the same period last year.
Going forward, sell-side analysts predict that The Williams Companies will deliver solid financial performance throughout this fiscal year—posting estimated earnings per share (EPS) of 1.93.
It is essential for investors and market participants to stay informed about industry trends and individual companies through comprehensive research reports like those produced by reputable firms such as Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.
As always, prudent investors must carefully evaluate various factors when making investment decisions, including a company’s fundamentals, past performance, and future growth prospects. It is recommended to consult with financial professionals or advisors before making any investment decisions.
Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is based on publicly available data as of September 19, 2023. However, it is important to note that market conditions are dynamic and subject to change. Therefore, readers are advised to conduct their own research and seek professional advice before making any investment decisions.
Installed Building Products, Inc.
IBP
Strong Buy
Updated on: 19/09/2023
Financial Health
Very Healthy
Debt to equity ratio: Strong Buy
Price to earnings ratio: Strong Buy
Price to book ratio: Strong Buy
DCF: Strong Buy
ROE: Buy
Impacts of Holdings Changes, Insider Selling, and Analyst Ratings on Williams Companies (WMB)
As of the second quarter, several hedge funds and institutional investors have made significant changes to their positions in Williams Companies (WMB). Peak Financial Advisors LLC saw a 5.1% increase in its holdings, now owning 62,400 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $2,036,000. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System also boosted its holdings by 2.7%, now owning 1,379,631 shares valued at $45,017,000. Czech National Bank increased its holdings by 0.5%, reaching a total of 144,209 shares valued at $4,706,000. Additionally, Level Four Advisory Services LLC raised its stake by 7.4%, acquiring an additional 15,232 shares valued at $497,000. Lastly, Telemus Capital LLC boosted its holdings by 2.6% to reach a total of 176,559 shares valued at $5,761,000.
It is worth noting that hedge funds and other institutional investors own a significant portion of Williams Companies’ stock. They hold approximately 85.76% of the company’s shares.
Various brokerages have also weighed in on WMB’s performance and outlook. CIBC initiated coverage on Williams Companies with a “neutral” rating on July 17th while StockNews.com recently assumed coverage with a “hold” rating for the company.
TD Securities downgraded Williams Companies’ target price from $39.00 to $38.00 but maintained a “buy” rating for the company on August 4th. Conversely, Mizuho raised their target price from $40.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating on August 22nd.
Morgan Stanley slightly increased their target price from $39.00 to $42..00 and assigned an “equal weight” rating to the stock on August 29th.
Overall, there are currently nine research analysts who have given the stock a “hold” rating and five analysts have assigned a “buy” rating. Bloomberg data indicates that the average rating for the company’s stock is currently “Hold” with an average target price of $36.27.
In recent news related to Williams Companies, Senior Vice President Scott A. Hallam sold 7,194 shares of the company’s stock on June 21st at an average price of $31.00 per share. Subsequently, on July 7th, Hallam sold another 7,193 shares at an average price of $33.00 per share. These transactions were disclosed in documents filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
In total, insiders have sold 21,581 shares valued at $690,591 in the last three months alone. Company insiders own approximately 0.44% of Williams Companies’ stock.
On Tuesday, September 19th, shares of Williams Companies opened at $34.43 per share. The stock has shown a 50-day moving average of $34.29 and a 200-day moving average of $31.50.
The Williams Companies, Inc., with a market capitalization of $41.88 billion, has demonstrated a year-long low of $27.80 and a high of $35.46 during the same period.
The company’s current ratio stands at 0.49 with a quick ratio of 0.44 while its debt-to-equity ratio is recorded as1.52.
With these recent developments in terms of holdings changes by hedge funds and institutional investors as well as insider selling activity and broker ratings, it will be interesting to see how this impacts the future performance and stability of Williams Companies (WMB).
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