Hartford Investment Management Co. Has $4.08 Million Stock Holdings in The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB)

Hartford Investment Management Co. trimmed its position in The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB) by 2.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 75,469 shares of the pipeline company’s stock after selling 1,703 shares during the quarter. Hartford Investment Management Co.’s holdings in Williams Companies were worth $4,084,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Williams Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new position in Williams Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in Williams Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. bought a new stake in Williams Companies during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Williams Companies in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. 86.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Williams Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WMB opened at $54.83 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $55.87 and its 200-day moving average is $51.49. The Williams Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $32.65 and a twelve month high of $61.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $66.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.14, a PEG ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 1.04.

Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The pipeline company reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.47. Williams Companies had a net margin of 27.36% and a return on equity of 15.89%. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Williams Companies, Inc. will post 1.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Williams Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a boost from Williams Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.65%. Williams Companies’s payout ratio is presently 80.17%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on WMB shares. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Williams Companies from $45.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Williams Companies in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $55.00 price objective on the stock. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Williams Companies from $52.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 3rd. CIBC upped their target price on Williams Companies from $45.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Williams Companies from $47.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Williams Companies has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $53.00.

About Williams Companies

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.