AE Wealth Management LLC expanded its holdings in ONEOK, Inc. by 8.6% during the third quarter, acquiring an additional 15,024 shares and bringing its total to 190,260 shares. According to the latest Form 13F filing, this position was valued at $13.9 million as of the end of the period. Other institutional activity included new stakes established by City Holding Co., Global Wealth Strategies & Associates and Financial Consulate Inc., each investing roughly $28,000–$29,000 in the quarter, while Access Investment Management LLC and Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC each deployed about $33,000–$34,000 in the prior quarter. Overall, institutional and hedge fund ownership represents approximately 69.1% of the company’s outstanding shares.

In its third quarter report, ONEOK delivered adjusted earnings per share of $1.49, marginally above consensus by $0.01, on revenues of $8.63 billion, surpassing analyst expectations by $400 million. The company achieved a net margin of 10.58% and a return on equity of 15.12%, compared to year-ago EPS of $1.18. Management reaffirmed guidance that full-year earnings per share will reach approximately 5.07, reflecting continued strength in natural gas liquids processing and interconnect throughput volumes across key Midwestern and Gulf Coast markets.

ONEOK announced a quarterly dividend increase to $1.07 per share, up from $1.03, representing an annualized payout of $4.28 and a yield of around 5.5%. The dividend will be paid on February 13 to shareholders of record as of February 2, with an ex-dividend date of February 2. This marks a fourth consecutive year of dividend growth and positions the payout ratio at roughly 75.7%, supported by free cash flow generation from fee-based transportation contracts and advantaged processing margins.

Equity research firms have remained mixed on ONEOK: Barclays maintains an equal-weight rating with a target reduced to $76, UBS holds a buy rating with a lowered target of $103, JPMorgan Chase & Co. shifted to neutral with a target of $83, and Raymond James reaffirmed outperform with an $82 target. Overall, analysts’ consensus leans toward a moderate buy. In corporate insider news, director Brian L. Derksen purchased 2,500 shares at an average cost of $66.00, increasing his stake by 13.4% to 21,200 shares, with the transaction disclosed in an SEC filing.