Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB).
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the positions showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with WMB, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 9 options trades for Williams Companies.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 100% bullish and 0%, bearish.
Out of all of the options we uncovered, there was 1 put, for a total amount of $26,500, and 8, calls, for a total amount of $228,290.
What's The Price Target?
After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $38.0 and $45.0 for Williams Companies, spanning the last three months.
Insights into Volume & Open Interest
Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Williams Companies's options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Williams Companies's whale trades within a strike price range from $38.0 to $45.0 in the last 30 days.
Williams Companies Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview
Biggest Options Spotted:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Ask | Bid | Price | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMB | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 01/16/26 | $5.2 | $4.6 | $4.98 | $45.00 | $32.3K | 494 | 65 |
| WMB | CALL | SWEEP | BULLISH | 01/17/25 | $7.9 | $7.8 | $7.9 | $38.00 | $30.0K | 872 | 648 |
| WMB | CALL | SWEEP | BULLISH | 01/17/25 | $7.9 | $7.8 | $7.9 | $38.00 | $30.0K | 872 | 38 |
| WMB | CALL | SWEEP | BULLISH | 01/17/25 | $7.9 | $7.8 | $7.9 | $38.00 | $28.4K | 872 | 550 |
| WMB | CALL | SWEEP | BULLISH | 01/17/25 | $7.9 | $7.8 | $7.9 | $38.00 | $28.4K | 872 | 334 |
About Williams Companies
Williams Companies is a midstream energy company that owns and operates the large Transco and Northwest pipeline systems and associated natural gas gathering, processing, and storage assets. In August 2018, the firm acquired the remaining 26% ownership of its limited partner, Williams Partners.
Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Williams Companies, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.
Current Position of Williams Companies
- Trading volume stands at 7,165,859, with WMB's price up by 0.62%, positioned at $45.77.
- RSI indicators show the stock to be may be approaching overbought.
- Earnings announcement expected in 61 days.
Professional Analyst Ratings for Williams Companies
3 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $45.666666666666664.
- An analyst from Scotiabank persists with their Sector Perform rating on Williams Companies, maintaining a target price of $48.
- Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Barclays continues to hold a Equal-Weight rating for Williams Companies, targeting a price of $42.
- An analyst from RBC Capital persists with their Outperform rating on Williams Companies, maintaining a target price of $47.
Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.