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Williams Companies, Inc. The (WMB) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: What You Should Know

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Williams Companies, Inc. The (WMB - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $31.75, moving -1.82% from the previous trading session. This change lagged the S&P 500's 1.46% gain on the day. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 1%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.17%.

Prior to today's trading, shares of the pipeline operator had lost 9.92% over the past month. This has lagged the Oils-Energy sector's gain of 2.86% and the S&P 500's loss of 6.94% in that time.

Williams Companies, Inc. The will be looking to display strength as it nears its next earnings release. On that day, Williams Companies, Inc. The is projected to report earnings of $0.37 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 37.04%. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $2.98 billion, up 30.56% from the prior-year quarter.

Looking at the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $1.55 per share and revenue of $12.01 billion. These totals would mark changes of +13.97% and +13.04%, respectively, from last year.

It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for Williams Companies, Inc. The. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the company's business outlook.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 5.2% higher. Williams Companies, Inc. The is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Looking at its valuation, Williams Companies, Inc. The is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 20.86. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 14.49, so we one might conclude that Williams Companies, Inc. The is trading at a premium comparatively.

Investors should also note that WMB has a PEG ratio of 5.96 right now. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. Oil and Gas - Production and Pipelines stocks are, on average, holding a PEG ratio of 4.12 based on yesterday's closing prices.

The Oil and Gas - Production and Pipelines industry is part of the Oils-Energy sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 58, putting it in the top 23% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank includes is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

To follow WMB in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.


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