Former Western Midstream CEO Joins Lazard as Senior Adviser
Western Midstream Partners LP's stock fell 3.25% despite the Nasdaq-100 and S&P 500 showing gains.
The decline comes amid the news that Lazard has appointed former Western Midstream CEO Michael Ure as a senior adviser, leveraging his extensive experience in the energy sector to enhance strategic consulting. This appointment is expected to strengthen Lazard's capabilities in advising clients in the global energy market, but it does not directly impact Western Midstream's operations.
The market's positive performance contrasts with Western Midstream's stock movement, indicating a potential sector rotation as investors may be reallocating their investments within the energy sector.
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Stifel's Acquisition: Stifel has raised its target price for Western Midstream Partners to $46 from $42 as part of its strategy to buy from the company.
Market Response: The increase in target price reflects a positive outlook on Western Midstream Partners' performance and potential growth in the market.
- Acquisition Scale: Western Midstream Partners announced the acquisition of Brazos Delaware II for approximately $1.6 billion, comprising about $800 million in cash and $800 million in common units, demonstrating the company's commitment to expansion in the Texas Delaware Basin.
- Asset Overview: Brazos boasts around 900 miles of pipeline and 460M cf/day of natural gas processing capacity, processing an average of 336M cf/day of natural gas and 25K bbl/day of crude oil in FY 2025, enhancing Western Midstream's asset portfolio and market competitiveness.
- EBITDA Expectations: It is anticipated that over 60% of Western Midstream's adjusted EBITDA will come from the Delaware Basin by 2026, with this proportion expected to grow further as the acquisition is completed and integrated, indicating significant future growth potential for the company.
- Strategic Growth Projects: The company also plans to launch the Pathfinder Pipeline and North Loving II projects in the first and second quarters of 2027, respectively, further driving revenue growth and solidifying its position in the midstream market.
- Acquisition Deal Size: Western Midstream Partners announced its acquisition of privately held Brazos Delaware II for $1.6 billion, comprising approximately $800 million in cash and $800 million in common units, with the deal expected to close in the second quarter, thereby strengthening its market position in the Permian Basin.
- Asset Integration Benefits: Brazos is one of the largest privately held gathering and processing platforms in the Texas Delaware Basin, boasting about 900 miles of pipeline and a nameplate natural gas processing capacity of 460 million cubic feet per day, which will significantly enhance Western Midstream's asset portfolio and operational capabilities.
- Market Expansion Potential: This acquisition allows Western Midstream to expand its gathering and processing network in the oil-rich Texas region, expected to increase its market share and competitiveness while meeting the growing energy demand in the area.
- Strategic Development Direction: The transaction not only supplements existing assets but also reflects Western Midstream's optimistic outlook on the future oil and gas market, aiming to achieve long-term growth through resource integration and operational efficiency improvements.
- Executive Appointment: Lazard has hired former Western Midstream CEO Michael Ure as a senior adviser in its power, energy, and infrastructure group, aiming to leverage his over 20 years of management experience to enhance the firm's strategic consulting capabilities in the global energy sector.
- Extensive Industry Experience: Ure served as CEO of Western Midstream, taking the helm in August 2019, where he successfully guided the company through strategic and organizational changes following Occidental's acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum, showcasing his unique perspective on complex capital allocation and acquisition activities.
- Strategic Impact: Ure's addition is expected to further strengthen Lazard's differentiated advice to clients, particularly in the global energy market, where his leadership experience will provide unique insights for client decision-making.
- Leadership Recognition: Both George Bilicic, Lazard's global head of power, energy & infrastructure, and CEO Peter Orszag emphasized that Ure's appointment will enhance the firm's consulting capabilities in critical decision-making, further solidifying Lazard's competitive edge in the industry.
- Quarterly Distribution Announcement: Western Midstream Partners declared a cash distribution of $0.93 per unit for Q1 2026, annualizing to $3.72, reflecting a 2.2% increase over the previous quarter, indicating the company's stable cash flow and profitability.
- Distribution Payment Date: The distribution is set to be paid on May 15, 2026, to unitholders of record as of May 1, 2026, ensuring timely returns for investors and bolstering market confidence.
- Earnings Report Schedule: The company plans to release its Q1 2026 results after market close on May 6, 2026, followed by a conference call on May 7 to discuss quarterly performance, enhancing transparency and investor relations.
- Robust Business Model: Western Midstream operates through gathering, processing, and transporting natural gas and related products, utilizing fee-based contracts that protect a substantial majority of cash flows from commodity price volatility, thereby strengthening financial stability.
- Quarterly Distribution Increase: Western Midstream Partners announced a quarterly cash distribution of $0.93 per unit for Q1 2026, annualizing to $3.72, reflecting a 2.2% increase over the previous quarter, indicating the company's stable cash flow and commitment to shareholder returns.
- Distribution Payment Schedule: The distribution is set to be paid on May 15, 2026, to unitholders of record as of May 1, 2026, ensuring timely returns for investors and bolstering market confidence in the partnership's financial health.
- Earnings Report Timeline: The partnership plans to release its Q1 2026 results after market close on May 6, 2026, followed by a conference call on May 7 to discuss the quarterly performance, enhancing transparency and investor relations.
- Operational Overview: Western Midstream focuses on developing and operating midstream assets, with a significant portion of cash flows secured through fee-based contracts, thereby reducing direct exposure to commodity price volatility and ensuring long-term financial stability.








