AMLP

Kinder Morgan’s Dividend Is Much Healthier These Days

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Image: Kinder Morgan’s shares have done quite well thanks to improved free cash flow performance. By Brian Nelson, CFA On October 16, pipeline giant Kinder Morgan (KMI) reported weaker than expected third quarter results, with both revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share coming in lower than what the Street was looking for. Adjusted EBITDA expanded 2% in the third quarter on a year-over-year basis, while net income attributable to KMI came in at $625 million, higher than the $532 million mark it posted in the year-ago quarter. Third quarter earnings per share was up 17% compared to the same period last year, but adjusted earnings per share of $0.25 and distributable cash flow of $0.49 per share were flat on … Read more

An Important Measure of Leverage for Dividend-Growth and Income-Oriented Shareholders, One That Is Dividend-Adjusted

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As more and more investors rely on company dividends for income, dividends, in our view, have become more debt-like commitments in nature, especially from the perspective of dividend-growth or income-oriented shareholders. Years ago, we rolled out a measure of financial leverage that considers both the company’s debt and the present value of its future expected cash dividend obligations, which, in the eyes of die-hard dividend-growth or income-oriented shareholders, may be implicitly assumed to be debt-like commitments in substance. We think this leverage ratio can be used in conjunction with the Dividend Cushion ratio to gain additional insight into the dividend-paying financial health of an entity. Note: There is often great confusion with respect to published measures of financial leverage, and … Read more

Dividend Aristocrat Enterprise Products Partners Showcases Strong Earnings Growth in Second Quarter

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Image Source: 2Q 2024 Enterprise Products Partners Earnings Slides By Brian Nelson, CFA On July 30, Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) reported decent second quarter results. During the quarter, the midstream energy company generated net income attributable to common unitholders of $1.4 billion, or $0.64 per unit on a fully diluted basis, a 12% increase from the same period a year ago. Distributable cash flow [DCF] came in at $1.8 billion, up from $1.7 billion in last year’s quarter and covered its distribution 1.6 times. Enterprise increased its distribution 5% in the second quarter, to $2.10 per common unit on an annualized basis, marking the 26th consecutive year it has raised its payout. Management commented on the second quarter performance: Enterprise … Read more

3 High Dividend Yielders for Consideration

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Image: Energy Transfer, Philip Morris, and Altria have outperformed the SPDR S&P 500 Dividend ETF (SDY) since the beginning of 2024. By Brian Nelson, CFA The market remains laser-focused on inflation readings and employment trends – two of the main dynamics that influence policy at the Federal Reserve. Since the beginning of 2024, the market has ratcheted down expectations of rate cuts from as many as 5 or 6 to just 1 or 2 in 2024. With yields on risk-free instruments poised to go lower soon, a focus on high yielding equities may be appropriate for the income investor. Here are three high dividend yielders that we like for consideration. Energy Transfer (ET) Midstream pipeline operator Energy Transfer has come … Read more

High Yield Dividend Income Investing Is Not as Easy as Chasing the Highest Yield

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Dear members: — The skills to successfully invest for long-term capital gains or long-term dividend growth are much different than those required for generating high yield dividend income. Income investing is a much different proposition. However, the skills do center on a similar equity evaluation process, but one that requires an acknowledgement and heightened awareness of considerably greater downside risks. Income investing, or high yield dividend income investing, should at times be considered among the riskiest forms of investing, as many high dividend-yielding securities tend to trade closer to the characteristics of junk-rated bonds than they do most net cash rich and free cash flow generating powerhouses that we like so much in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio (1) and Dividend Growth … Read more

Enterprise Products Offers Investors Key Midstream Exposure

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Image: Enterprise Products Partners has come back nicely since the doldrums of the COVID-19 meltdown. By Brian Nelson, CFA On April 30, Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) reported decent first-quarter 2024 results. Net income grew to $0.66 per diluted unit, up 5% compared to the $0.63 per diluted unit it put up during the first quarter of 2023. Distributable cash flow [DCF] came in at $1.9 billion for the first quarter of 2024, about the same as it was in last year’s quarter. The company’s DCF covered its distributions declared in the first quarter by 1.7x. The pipeline giant continues to buy back units, having used roughly half of its authorized $2 billion buyback program. Management had a lot to say … Read more

Earnings Roundup: MO, EPD, SBUX, CLX, HON

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By Brian Nelson, CFA Altria’s (MO) Dividend Growth Outlook Through 2028 Looks Solid On February 1, Altria Group, which is yielding ~9.5% at the time of this writing, reported mixed fourth-quarter results that showed revenue missing on the top line, but the company’s non-GAAP earnings per share coming in-line with the consensus forecast. For the fourth quarter, net revenue dropped 2.2% as a result of lower sales in its smokeable products portfolio, which was only partially offset by strength in its oral tobacco segment. Adjusted diluted earnings per share was roughly flat thanks in part to both a lower share count and lower tax rate, both of which helped offset modest weakness in its operating companies income (OCI). Altria’s fourth-quarter … Read more

Energy Transfer Making a Comeback, Shares Yield ~8.7%

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Image: Energy Transfer is working its way back after a long stretch of underperformance. By Brian Nelson, CFA Energy Transfer (ET) is one of the largest midstream, transportation and storage companies for natural gas, crude oil, NGLs (natural gas liquids), and other refined products, and the firm has investments in Sunoco LP (SUN) and USA Compression Partners (USAC). The company is nowhere near the bubble levels of 2015, but the pipeline operator has been staging a comeback backed by traditional free cash flow, and we are warming up to this dividend payer. Shares yield ~8.7% at the time of this writing. In the pipeline space, investors tend to pay attention to a metric called distributable cash flow [DCF], not to … Read more

Kinder Morgan’s ~6.4% Dividend Yield Is Much Stronger These Days

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Image: Kinder Morgan is back on track. Image Source: Kinder Morgan. By Brian Nelson, CFA Early in December, Kinder Morgan (KMI) released financial expectations for 2024 that showed the midstream energy giant is back on track. Excluding its recent purchase of NextEra Energy Partners’ (NEP) STX Midstream assets, Kinder Morgan expects 5% expansion in adjusted EBITDA and distributable cash flow [DCF] in 2024 thanks to growth in its Natural Gas Pipelines and Energy Transition Ventures segments coupled with rate escalations across its operations. For 2024, management is targeting its 7th consecutive year of dividend increases with a projected annualized dividend of $1.15 in 2024. Net debt-to-Adjusted EBITDA is targeted at 3.8x at the end of 2024, a level that is materially … Read more

Dividend Aristocrat Enterprise Products Partners Boasts 7%+ Yield, Investment-Grade Marks

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Image: Enterprise Products Partners continues to raise its distribution year after year. Source: Enterprise Products Partners. By Brian Nelson, CFA Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) represents rare exposure to the midstream energy pipeline space in the simulated High Yield Dividend Newsletter portfolio, a key feature of the monthly High Yield Dividend Newsletter, released by email to its subscribers on the first of each month. The master limited partnership is one of the largest providers of midstream energy services of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil and other refined products in North America. Units offer investors a distribution yield of ~7.6% at the time of this writing, one that is covered nicely by the firm’s distributable cash flow [DCF], not to … Read more