The company has a strong presence in the Oklahoma SCOOP/STACK (NGL gathering/takeaway system, G&P), the Williston Basin (G&P, NGL takeaway) and the Permian Basin (NGL gathering, NGL takeaway, natural gas takeaway), which analysts feel provides high-return growth opportunities.

Many on Wall Street remain very positive on the company’s primarily fee-based earnings, which account for 90% of total earnings.

Investors receive a 6.30% dividend. The $65 Barclays price target is less than the $65.95 consensus target for ONEOK stock. The shares closed on Thursday at $59.39.

Williams Companies

This is another top energy company and a solid pick for investors who are more conservative and looking for exposure to LNG. Williams Companies Inc. (NYSE: WMB) operates as an energy infrastructure company primarily in the United States.

Its Transmission & Gulf of Mexico segment comprises Transco and Northwest natural gas pipelines, as well as natural gas gathering and processing, and crude oil production handling and transportation assets in the Gulf Coast region. The Northeast G&P segment engages in the midstream gathering, processing and fractionation activities in the Marcellus Shale region, primarily in Pennsylvania and New York, and the Utica Shale region of eastern Ohio.

The West segment comprises gas gathering, processing and treating operations in the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado and Wyoming, the Barnett Shale region of north-central Texas, the Eagle Ford Shale region of South Texas, the Haynesville Shale region of northwest Louisiana and the Mid-Continent region, which includes the Anadarko, Arkom, and Permian basins. It also includes NGL and natural gas marketing operations, as well as storage facilities.

The company owns and operates 30,000 miles of pipelines, 34 processing facilities, nine fractionation facilities and approximately 23 million barrels of NGL storage capacity.

Shareholders receive a 5.70% dividend. BofA Securities recently nudged up the $34 price target to $35. The consensus target is $31.45, and Williams Companies stock closed at $28.77 on Thursday.

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Five of the highest yielding S&P 500 stocks all have Buy ratings from top Wall Street firms. These stocks give investors great total return potential. For investors looking to take positions or increase exposure in the red-hot energy sector, the three picks here could be some of the best sector ideas now.