TULSA, Okla., April 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — The board of directors of the general partner of ONEOK Partners, L.P. (NYSE: OKS) today declared a quarterly cash distribution of 79 cents per unit, effective for the first quarter 2017, payable May 15, 2017, to unitholders of record at the close of business May 1, 2017.
On Feb. 1, 2017, ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE) and ONEOK Partners announced an agreement under which ONEOK will acquire all of the outstanding common units of ONEOK Partners it does not already own. Under the agreement, each outstanding common unit of ONEOK Partners will be converted into .985 of a share of ONEOK common stock. Completion of the transaction is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2017.
ONEOK expects to increase its first quarterly dividend following the close of the transaction to 74.5 cents per share, or $2.98 on an annualized basis, a 21 percent increase compared with its first-quarter 2017 dividend. Following the initial increase, subsequent annual dividend increases of approximately 9 to 11 percent are expected through 2021.
ONEOK Partners, L.P. (pronounced ONE-OAK) (NYSE: OKS) is one of the largest publicly traded master limited partnerships in the United States and owns one of the nation’s premier natural gas liquids (NGL) systems, connecting NGL supply in the Mid-Continent, Permian and Rocky Mountain regions with key market centers and is a leader in the gathering, processing, storage and transportation of natural gas in the U.S. Its general partner is a wholly owned subsidiary of ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE), a pure-play publicly traded general partner, which owns 41.2 percent of the overall partnership interest, as of Dec. 31, 2016.
For more information, visit the website at www.oneokpartners.com.
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This news release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of federal securities laws. Words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “may,” and similar expressions may be used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact and reflect ONEOK’s and ONEOK Partners’ current views about future events. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the proposed transaction involving ONEOK and ONEOK Partners, including future financial and operating results, ONEOK’s and ONEOK Partners’ plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, the expected timing of completion of the transaction, and other statements that are not historical facts, including future results of operations, projected cash flow and liquidity, business strategy, expected synergies or cost savings, and other plans and objectives for future operations. No assurances can be given that the forward-looking statements contained in this news release will occur as projected and actual results may differ materially from those projected.
Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and assumptions that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and are not guarantees of future results. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such statements and, therefore, you should not place undue reliance on any such statements and caution must be exercised in relying on forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the following:
These reports are also available from the sources described above. Forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of management at the time the statements are made. Neither ONEOK nor ONEOK Partners undertakes any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
The foregoing review of important factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included herein and elsewhere, including the Risk Factors included in the most recent reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and other documents of ONEOK and ONEOK Partners on file with the SEC. ONEOK’s and ONEOK Partners’ SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Additional Information And Where To Find It
This communication is not a solicitation of any vote, approval, or proxy from any ONEOK stockholder or ONEOK Partners unitholder. In connection with the proposed transaction, ONEOK filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a registration statement on Form S-4, which includes a preliminary prospectus of ONEOK and a joint proxy statement of ONEOK and ONEOK Partners. These materials are not yet final and will be amended. Each of ONEOK and ONEOK Partners may also file other documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction. ONEOK and OKS will each mail the joint proxy statement/prospectus to their respective stockholders and unitholders. This document is not a substitute for any prospectus, proxy statement or any other document which ONEOK or ONEOK Partners may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. ONEOK and ONEOK Partners urge investors and their respective stockholders and unitholders to read the registration statement, including the preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus that is a part of the registration statement, and the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus, and other relevant materials filed and to be filed with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction when they become available, as well as other documents filed with the SEC, because they contain or will contain important information. You may obtain copies of all documents filed with the SEC regarding this transaction (when they become available), free of charge, at the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov). You may also obtain these documents, free of charge, from ONEOK’s website (www.oneok.com) under the tab “Investors” and then under the heading “SEC Filings.” You may also obtain these documents, free of charge, from ONEOK Partners’ website (www.oneokpartners.com) under the tab “Investors” and then under the heading “SEC Filings.”
Participants In The Solicitation
ONEOK, ONEOK Partners and their respective directors, executive officers and certain other members of management and employees may be soliciting proxies from ONEOK stockholders and ONEOK Partners unitholders in favor of the proposed transaction and related matters. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the solicitation of ONEOK stockholders and ONEOK Partners unitholders in connection with the proposed transaction are set forth in the preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus filed with the SEC on March 7, 2017 and will be set forth in the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus when it becomes available. You can find information about ONEOK’s executive officers and directors in its definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on April 6, 2017. You can find information about ONEOK Partners’ executive officers and directors in its annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 28, 2017. Additional information about ONEOK’s executive officers and directors and ONEOK Partners’ executive officers and directors can be found in the above-referenced Registration Statement on Form S-4 and the other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available. You can obtain free copies of these documents from ONEOK and ONEOK Partners using the contact information below.
Analyst Contact: |
Megan Patterson |
918-561-5325 |
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Media Contact: |
Stephanie Higgins |
918-591-5026 |
SOURCE ONEOK Partners, L.P.