Midstream Energy Stocks Attract Investors with High Yields
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 6 days ago
0mins
Should l Buy ET?
Source: Fool
- Industry Transformation: Over the past decade, the midstream energy sector has significantly improved its financial health by reducing leverage, shifting to fee-based contracts, and increasing distribution coverage ratios, making it a more attractive investment option that is likely to draw more investor interest.
- Energy Transition Opportunities: With rising energy demand driven by AI buildout, top midstream limited partnerships (MLPs) currently trade at a forward EV/EBITDA multiple of around 11 times, a significant discount compared to 13.7 times a decade ago, indicating strong investment potential.
- Energy Transfer Projects: Energy Transfer's strong presence in the Permian Basin positions it as a key natural gas pipeline operator, with expectations for a 3% to 5% increase in distributions, further solidifying its market position.
- High Yield Growth: MPLX has increased its distribution by 12.5% over the past two years and plans to continue this pace for the next two years, with a current yield of 7.8%, making it a top income stock for investors.
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Analyst Views on ET
Wall Street analysts forecast ET stock price to rise
11 Analyst Rating
7 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 18.730
Low
17.00
Averages
20.65
High
23.00
Current: 18.730
Low
17.00
Averages
20.65
High
23.00
About ET
Energy Transfer LP owns and operates a diversified portfolios of energy assets in the United States, with more than 140,000 miles of pipeline and associated energy infrastructure. The Company’s strategic network spans 44 states with assets in all of the major United States production basins. Its core operations include complementary natural gas midstream, intrastate and interstate transportation and storage assets; crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGL) and refined product transportation and terminalling assets; and NGL fractionation. The Company’s segments include intrastate transportation and storage, interstate transportation and storage, midstream, NGL and refined products transportation and services, crude oil transportation and services, investment in Sunoco LP, investment in USA Compression Partners, LP (USAC), and all other. It also owns Lake Charles LNG Company, LLC, its wholly owned subsidiary, which owns an LNG import terminal and regasification facility.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Impact of Iran War on Global Energy Markets
- Oil Supply Risks: The U.S. and Israel's attacks on Iran have disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, causing turmoil in global energy markets, prompting investors to monitor oil price fluctuations and their impact on energy stocks.
- Chevron's Stability: Chevron (CVX) stands out due to its strong operations in the Permian Basin, with expectations of over 10% annual growth in earnings per share and free cash flow, alongside a 39-year streak of dividend increases, reflecting its financial robustness amid Middle East oil supply risks.
- ExxonMobil's Growth Potential: As the world's second-largest energy company, ExxonMobil (XOM) anticipates a $25 billion increase in earnings by 2030 and an additional $35 billion in free cash flow, with a 43-year history of dividend growth attracting income investors.
- Energy Transfer's Market Demand: Energy Transfer (ET) benefits from rising U.S. oil and gas demand due to Middle Eastern supply disruptions, with its extensive pipeline network positioning it favorably in the market, and management expects a long-term distribution growth rate of 3% to 5%.
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Strategies to Enhance Tax Efficiency for Investors
- Tax Efficiency Improvement: According to Bank of America, a tax-aware portfolio achieved a 7.4% annualized return over 30 years, compared to 5.9% for a tax-insensitive portfolio, highlighting the significant impact of tax management on long-term returns.
- Buybacks Over Dividends: Investors should prefer stock buybacks over dividends since buybacks are not taxable events, while dividends incur taxes ranging from 0% to 20%, although companies may reduce buybacks due to other capital commitments.
- Municipal Bond Advantages: Municipal bonds provide federal tax-exempt income, and residents of the issuing state can enjoy additional state and local tax exemptions, with tax-equivalent yields potentially exceeding Treasuries by 70 basis points, making them suitable for high-tax investors.
- Direct MLP Ownership: Master limited partnerships (MLPs) offer attractive yields but should be owned directly to avoid extra tax burdens, as distributions are treated as a return of capital, increasing investors' cost basis; recommended high-rated MLPs include DT Midstream, Energy Transfer, and Enterprise Products Partners.
See More
Natural Gas Infrastructure Companies Poised for Growth
- Energy Transition Investment: Energy Transfer is investing $2.7 billion in the Hugh Brinson Pipeline and $5.6 billion in the Desert Southwest expansion project to support surging natural gas demand, thereby enhancing its market position in the gas infrastructure sector.
- Market Leadership: Kinder Morgan operates over 65,000 miles of gas pipelines, transporting 40% of the U.S. natural gas, and plans to invest $10 billion in new projects by 2030, which is expected to significantly boost its cash flows and dividends.
- Strategic Partnership Expansion: Williams has signed a strategic partnership with Woodside Energy to invest $1.9 billion in its Louisiana LNG project, which is expected to drive its future earnings growth to exceed 10%.
- Growing Market Demand: As demand for natural gas power generation surges, companies like Energy Transfer, Kinder Morgan, and Williams are poised to benefit from this trend, anticipating robust earnings growth and becoming top picks for investors.
See More
Energy Transfer Invests in Natural Gas Infrastructure Expansion
- Infrastructure Expansion: Energy Transfer is heavily investing in its natural gas infrastructure, planning to meet surging demand by constructing the $2.7 billion Hugh Brinson Pipeline and the $5.6 billion Desert Southwest expansion project, thereby enhancing its competitive position in the gas market.
- Growth Potential: Kinder Morgan has committed to invest $10 billion in new growth projects, with 90% related to gas infrastructure, expected to enter commercial service by 2030, driving cash flow growth and supporting future dividend increases.
- Strategic Partnership: Williams has signed a strategic partnership with Woodside Energy to invest $1.9 billion in its Louisiana LNG project, and it expects to achieve over 10% compound annual growth rate through expanding its pipeline infrastructure, significantly boosting its profitability.
- Market Demand: As natural gas becomes increasingly crucial for power generation, demand is expected to surge in the coming years, leading to robust earnings growth for leading companies like Energy Transfer, Kinder Morgan, and Williams.
See More
Energy Transfer's Stable Income Outlook
- Stable Revenue Model: Energy Transfer generates most of its profits by charging upstream and downstream companies 'tolls' for using its infrastructure, making its revenue model relatively insulated from volatile oil and gas prices, ensuring stable cash flow and distributions.
- Tax Efficiency Advantage: As a master limited partnership (MLP), Energy Transfer can pass tax losses onto investors, thereby reducing the tax burden on cash distributions and enhancing overall investor returns.
- Distribution Coverage Capability: Data shows that Energy Transfer's distributable cash flow (DCF) has consistently covered its annual distributions over the past five years, with an adjusted DCF of $7.58 billion in 2023, indicating the sustainability of its distributions.
- Future Earnings Expectations: Analysts expect Energy Transfer's earnings per unit (EPU) to rise from a loss of $0.24 in 2020 to $1.71 by 2028, with the current stock price of $19 still valued at less than 13 times this year's EPU, highlighting its investment attractiveness.
See More
Energy Transfer's Stability and Growth Potential
- Stable Investment Returns: Energy Transfer has delivered a total return exceeding 450% over the past decade, making it a top choice for long-term income due to its stable cash flow and distributions, despite appearing as a dull investment.
- Midstream Company Advantage: As a midstream company, Energy Transfer profits by charging 'tolls' to upstream and downstream companies, resulting in lower sensitivity to volatile oil and gas prices, which ensures a consistent cash flow.
- Tax Structure Benefits: Operating as a master limited partnership (MLP), Energy Transfer allows investors to benefit from the pass-through of tax losses, enhancing the tax efficiency of distributions and reducing the tax burden on investors.
- Earnings Growth Potential: By 2025, Energy Transfer's earnings per unit (EPU) is expected to rise from a loss of $0.24 in 2020 to a profit of $1.21, indicating strong growth potential, while the current stock price of $19 remains attractive at less than 13 times this year's EPU.
See More
Impact of Iran War on Global Energy Markets
- Oil Supply Risks: The U.S. and Israel's attacks on Iran have disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, causing turmoil in global energy markets, prompting investors to monitor oil price fluctuations and their impact on energy stocks.
- Chevron's Stability: Chevron (CVX) stands out due to its strong operations in the Permian Basin, with expectations of over 10% annual growth in earnings per share and free cash flow, alongside a 39-year streak of dividend increases, reflecting its financial robustness amid Middle East oil supply risks.
- ExxonMobil's Growth Potential: As the world's second-largest energy company, ExxonMobil (XOM) anticipates a $25 billion increase in earnings by 2030 and an additional $35 billion in free cash flow, with a 43-year history of dividend growth attracting income investors.
- Energy Transfer's Market Demand: Energy Transfer (ET) benefits from rising U.S. oil and gas demand due to Middle Eastern supply disruptions, with its extensive pipeline network positioning it favorably in the market, and management expects a long-term distribution growth rate of 3% to 5%.
See More
Strategies to Enhance Tax Efficiency for Investors
- Tax Efficiency Improvement: According to Bank of America, a tax-aware portfolio achieved a 7.4% annualized return over 30 years, compared to 5.9% for a tax-insensitive portfolio, highlighting the significant impact of tax management on long-term returns.
- Buybacks Over Dividends: Investors should prefer stock buybacks over dividends since buybacks are not taxable events, while dividends incur taxes ranging from 0% to 20%, although companies may reduce buybacks due to other capital commitments.
- Municipal Bond Advantages: Municipal bonds provide federal tax-exempt income, and residents of the issuing state can enjoy additional state and local tax exemptions, with tax-equivalent yields potentially exceeding Treasuries by 70 basis points, making them suitable for high-tax investors.
- Direct MLP Ownership: Master limited partnerships (MLPs) offer attractive yields but should be owned directly to avoid extra tax burdens, as distributions are treated as a return of capital, increasing investors' cost basis; recommended high-rated MLPs include DT Midstream, Energy Transfer, and Enterprise Products Partners.
See More
Natural Gas Infrastructure Companies Poised for Growth
- Energy Transition Investment: Energy Transfer is investing $2.7 billion in the Hugh Brinson Pipeline and $5.6 billion in the Desert Southwest expansion project to support surging natural gas demand, thereby enhancing its market position in the gas infrastructure sector.
- Market Leadership: Kinder Morgan operates over 65,000 miles of gas pipelines, transporting 40% of the U.S. natural gas, and plans to invest $10 billion in new projects by 2030, which is expected to significantly boost its cash flows and dividends.
- Strategic Partnership Expansion: Williams has signed a strategic partnership with Woodside Energy to invest $1.9 billion in its Louisiana LNG project, which is expected to drive its future earnings growth to exceed 10%.
- Growing Market Demand: As demand for natural gas power generation surges, companies like Energy Transfer, Kinder Morgan, and Williams are poised to benefit from this trend, anticipating robust earnings growth and becoming top picks for investors.
See More
Energy Transfer Invests in Natural Gas Infrastructure Expansion
- Infrastructure Expansion: Energy Transfer is heavily investing in its natural gas infrastructure, planning to meet surging demand by constructing the $2.7 billion Hugh Brinson Pipeline and the $5.6 billion Desert Southwest expansion project, thereby enhancing its competitive position in the gas market.
- Growth Potential: Kinder Morgan has committed to invest $10 billion in new growth projects, with 90% related to gas infrastructure, expected to enter commercial service by 2030, driving cash flow growth and supporting future dividend increases.
- Strategic Partnership: Williams has signed a strategic partnership with Woodside Energy to invest $1.9 billion in its Louisiana LNG project, and it expects to achieve over 10% compound annual growth rate through expanding its pipeline infrastructure, significantly boosting its profitability.
- Market Demand: As natural gas becomes increasingly crucial for power generation, demand is expected to surge in the coming years, leading to robust earnings growth for leading companies like Energy Transfer, Kinder Morgan, and Williams.
See More
Energy Transfer's Stable Income Outlook
- Stable Revenue Model: Energy Transfer generates most of its profits by charging upstream and downstream companies 'tolls' for using its infrastructure, making its revenue model relatively insulated from volatile oil and gas prices, ensuring stable cash flow and distributions.
- Tax Efficiency Advantage: As a master limited partnership (MLP), Energy Transfer can pass tax losses onto investors, thereby reducing the tax burden on cash distributions and enhancing overall investor returns.
- Distribution Coverage Capability: Data shows that Energy Transfer's distributable cash flow (DCF) has consistently covered its annual distributions over the past five years, with an adjusted DCF of $7.58 billion in 2023, indicating the sustainability of its distributions.
- Future Earnings Expectations: Analysts expect Energy Transfer's earnings per unit (EPU) to rise from a loss of $0.24 in 2020 to $1.71 by 2028, with the current stock price of $19 still valued at less than 13 times this year's EPU, highlighting its investment attractiveness.
See More
Energy Transfer's Stability and Growth Potential
- Stable Investment Returns: Energy Transfer has delivered a total return exceeding 450% over the past decade, making it a top choice for long-term income due to its stable cash flow and distributions, despite appearing as a dull investment.
- Midstream Company Advantage: As a midstream company, Energy Transfer profits by charging 'tolls' to upstream and downstream companies, resulting in lower sensitivity to volatile oil and gas prices, which ensures a consistent cash flow.
- Tax Structure Benefits: Operating as a master limited partnership (MLP), Energy Transfer allows investors to benefit from the pass-through of tax losses, enhancing the tax efficiency of distributions and reducing the tax burden on investors.
- Earnings Growth Potential: By 2025, Energy Transfer's earnings per unit (EPU) is expected to rise from a loss of $0.24 in 2020 to a profit of $1.21, indicating strong growth potential, while the current stock price of $19 remains attractive at less than 13 times this year's EPU.
See More
