Williams' (NYSE: WMB) board of directors has approved a regular dividend of $0.4025 on the company's common stock, payable March 31, 2014, to holders of record at the close of business on March 14.

The first-quarter 2014 dividend is an increase of $0.0225, or 5.9 percent, from the previous quarterly dividend of $.38 per share. The new amount is an increase of $0.06375, or 18.8 percent, from the first-quarter 2013 dividend.

The company continues to expect to increase the full-year dividend it pays shareholders by 20 percent in each of 2014 and 2015 - to per-share amounts of $1.75 and $2.11, respectively. Williams' full-year dividend for 2013 was $1.44 per share.

The expected quarterly increases in Williams' dividend are subject to quarterly approval of Williams' board of directors.

Williams has paid a common stock dividend every quarter since 1974.

About Williams (NYSE: WMB)

Williams is one of the leading energy infrastructure companies in North America. It owns interests in or operates 15,000 miles of interstate gas pipelines, 1,000 miles of NGL transportation pipelines, and more than 10,000 miles of oil and gas gathering pipelines. The company's facilities have daily gas processing capacity of 6.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas, NGL production of more than 200,000 barrels per day and domestic olefins production capacity of 1.35 billion pounds of ethylene and 90 million pounds of propylene per year. Williams owns approximately 64 percent of Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE: WPZ), one of the largest diversified energy master limited partnerships. Williams Partners owns most of Williams' interstate gas pipeline and domestic midstream assets. Williams also owns Canadian operations and certain domestic olefins pipelines assets, as well as a significant investment in Access Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ACMP), a midstream natural gas services provider. The company's headquarters is in Tulsa, Okla. For more information, visit www.williams.com, where the company routinely posts important information.

Our reports, filings, and other public announcements may include "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements relate to anticipated financial performance, management's plans and objectives for future operations, business prospects, outcome of regulatory proceedings, market conditions and other matters. We make these forward-looking statements in reliance on the safe harbor protections provided under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this report that address activities, events or developments that we expect, believe or anticipate will exist or may occur in the future, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by various forms of words such as "anticipates," "believes," "seeks," "could," "may," "should," "continues," "estimates," "expects," "assumes," "forecasts," "intends," "might," "goals," "objectives," "targets," "planned," "potential," "projects," "scheduled," "will," "assumes," "guidance," "outlook," "in service date" or other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management and include, among others, statements regarding:

  • Amounts and nature of future capital expenditures;
  • Expansion and growth of our business and operations;
  • Financial condition and liquidity;
  • Business strategy;
  • Cash flow from operations or results of operations;
  • The levels of dividends to stockholders;
  • Seasonality of certain business components;
  • Natural gas, natural gas liquids and olefins prices, supply and demand;
  • Demand for our services.

Forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions, uncertainties and risks that could cause future events or results to be materially different from those stated or implied in this report. Many of the factors that will determine these results are beyond our ability to control or predict. Specific factors that could cause actual results to differ from results contemplated by the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following:

  • Whether we have sufficient cash to enable us to pay current and expected levels of dividends;
  • Availability of supplies, market demand and volatility of prices;
  • Inflation, interest rates, fluctuation in foreign exchange, and general economic conditions (including future disruptions and volatility in the global credit markets and the impact of these events on our customers and suppliers);
  • The strength and financial resources of our competitors and the effects of competition;
  • Ability to acquire new businesses and assets and integrate those operations and assets into our existing businesses, as well as successfully expand our facilities;
  • Development of alternative energy sources;
  • The impact of operational and development hazards and unforeseen interruptions;
  • Costs of, changes in, or the results of laws, government regulations (including safety and environmental regulations), environmental liabilities, litigation, and rate proceedings;
  • Our costs and funding obligations for defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans;
  • Changes in maintenance and construction costs;
  • Changes in the current geopolitical situation;
  • Our exposure to the credit risk of our customers and counterparties;
  • Risks related to strategy and financing, including restrictions stemming from our debt agreements, future changes in our credit ratings and the availability and cost of capital;
  • The amount of cash distributions from and capital requirements of our investments and joint ventures in which we participate;
  • Risks associated with weather and natural phenomena, including climate conditions;
  • Acts of terrorism, including cybersecurity threats and related disruptions;
  • Additional risks described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Given the uncertainties and risk factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, we caution investors not to unduly rely on our forward-looking statements. We disclaim any obligations to and do not intend to update the above list or to announce publicly the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements to reflect future events or developments.

In addition to causing our actual results to differ, the factors listed above may cause our intentions to change from those statements of intention set forth in this announcement. Such changes in our intentions may also cause our results to differ. We may change our intentions, at any time and without notice, based upon changes in such factors, our assumptions, or otherwise.

Investors are urged to closely consider the disclosures and risk factors in our annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on Feb. 27, 2013, and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q available from our offices or from our website at www.williams.com.

Williams
Media Contact:
Tom Droege, 918-573-4034
or
Investor Contacts:
John Porter, 918-573-0797
or
Sharna Reingold, 918-573-2078