5 Best Energy Infrastructure Stocks to Buy Now

2. The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 80

The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB) operates as an energy infrastructure company primarily in the United States, handling approximately one-third of the natural gas in the country.

On April 10, Jefferies analyst Julien Dumoulin-Smith raised the firm’s price target on The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB) from $81 to $83, while maintaining a ‘Buy’ rating on the shares. The revision indicates an upside potential of over 16% from the current levels.

Jefferies expects investors to shift their focus from the long-term compound annual growth rate to proof of Power Innovation execution ahead of the upcoming Q1 earnings season. While the market is looking for clearer backlog conversion, the analyst firm believes that its continued confidence in the Power Innovation opportunity continues to make the risk/reward profile ‘compelling’.

The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB) expects its earnings to be in the range of $2.20 – $2.38 per share for FY 2026, driven by new pipeline and offshore projects. This is up from the analyst consensus of $2.28 per share.

ClearBridge Investments, a global equity manager, stated the following regarding The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:

“After a long and profitable investment in Enbridge, we sold the position to concentrate our pipeline investments in The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB), which possesses a superior balance sheet and growth outlook. Further, with the U.S. pursuing confrontational trade policies toward Canada, the risks to Canadian companies dependent upon exports to the U.S. are elevated. Our investment in Williams is predicated on growing North American natural gas production and surging power demand from data centers. Rising oil prices have little direct impact on the company and its business should continue chugging along, regardless of the outcome with Iran.”