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Williams (WMB) to Report Q4 Earnings: What's in Store?

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The Williams Companies, Inc. (WMB - Free Report) is set to release fourth-quarter results on Feb 20. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter is a profit of 47 cents per share on revenues of $3.2 billion.

Let’s delve into the factors that might have influenced the oil and gas pipeline operator’s performance in the December quarter. But it’s worth taking a look at Williams’ previous-quarter results first.

Highlights of Q3 Earnings & Surprise History

In the last reported quarter, the energy infrastructure provider beat the consensus mark on strong performance across its core businesses. Williams had reported adjusted earnings per share of 48 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 44 cents. Revenues of $3 billion generated by the firm also came 5.4% above the consensus mark.

WMB beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, resulting in an earnings surprise of 14.2%, on average. This is depicted in the graph below:

 

Williams Companies, Inc. (The) Price and EPS Surprise

Williams Companies, Inc. (The) Price and EPS Surprise

Williams Companies, Inc. (The) price-eps-surprise | Williams Companies, Inc. (The) Quote

 

Trend in Estimate Revision

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the fourth-quarter bottom line has remained the same in the past seven days. The estimated figure indicates a 20.5% improvement year over year. However, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues suggests a 2.4% decrease from the year-ago period.

Factors to Consider

Williams’ Transmission & Gulf of Mexico segment — which includes the company’s crown jewel and the nation’s largest and fastest-growing natural gas pipeline system Transco — is expected to have generated robust profits in the fourth quarter.

The unit is likely to have benefited from expansion projects around Transco being placed into service over the past few years and additional volumes from its infrastructure on the back of strong drilling activity. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the segment’s adjusted EBITDA is pegged at $697 million for the to-be-reported quarter, up from the prior-year period’s level of $685 million.

The Northeast G&P unit — engaged in natural gas gathering and processing along with the NGL fractionation business in Marcellus and Utica shale regions — is also expected to have done well in the to-be-reported quarter. Echoing the segment’s healthy dynamics, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter’s adjusted EBITDA is projected at $465 million. The number suggests a $6 million increase from a profit of $459 million reported in the year-ago quarter.

On a somewhat bearish note, the increase in Williams’ costs might have dented the company’s to-be-reported bottom line. WMB’s total costs in the third quarter were $2.2 billion, nearly 4% higher than the prior-year period. The upward cost trajectory is likely to have continued in the fourth quarter due to the prevailing inflationary environment.

What Does Our Model Say?

The proven Zacks model does not conclusively show that Williams Companies is likely to beat estimates in the fourth quarter. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of beating estimates. But that’s not the case here.

You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Earnings ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, for this company is -6.07%.

Zacks Rank: WMB currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.

Stocks to Consider

While an earnings beat looks uncertain for WMB, here are some firms from the energy space that you may want to consider on the basis of our model:

ProPetro Holding Corp. (PUMP - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +21.30% and a Zacks Rank #1. The firm is scheduled to release earnings on Feb 21.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

For 2023, ProPetro Holding has a projected earnings growth rate of 596.1%. Valued at around $1.2 billion, PUMP has lost 19.9% in a year.

Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. (PARR - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +6.79% and a Zacks Rank #1. The firm is scheduled to release earnings on Feb 22.

For 2022, Par Pacific Holdings has a projected earnings growth rate of 539%. Valued at around $1.7 billion, PARR has gained 87.6% in a year.

Cheniere Energy (LNG - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +18.82% and a Zacks Rank #3. The firm is scheduled to release earnings on Feb 23.

For 2023, LNG has a projected earnings growth rate of 539.1%. Valued at around $37 billion, LNG has gained 27.3% in a year.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

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