Williams forecasts stronger 2026 profit on pipeline expansion

US pipeline operator Williams Companies on Tuesday forecast 2026 profit above analysts' expectations as new pipeline and offshore projects drive growth and natural gas demand continues to rise.

Williams, which also increased its annual dividend by five per cent to $2.10 per share for 2026, saw its shares rise 2.8 per cent in morning trade.

Rising electricity use from crypto-mining, households, businesses and an AI-driven boom in data centres is set to boost natural gas demand this year, strengthening pipeline operators' expectations of sustained long-term need for gas infrastructure.

Williams completed 1.1 billion cubic feet per day (bcfpd) of pipeline transmission projects in 2025, while another 7.1 bcfpd of pipeline projects are currently in execution.

The pipeline operator added a new power-innovation project, "Socrates the Younger", with 340 megawatts (MW) of behind-the-meter capacity under a 10-year agreement to its development pipeline. The project represents a capital cost of about $1.3 billion, the company said on a conference call.