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Here's Why Hold Strategy is Apt for Kinder Morgan Stock Now

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Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI - Free Report) is a well-known name in the midstream energy space. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Kinder Morgan earnings for 2024 and 2025 is pegged at $1.19 and $1.22 per share, respectively, unchanged over the past seven days.

What’s Favoring KMI?

Kinder Morgan operates an extensive network of pipelines spanning 79,000 miles, transporting natural gas, gasoline, crude oil and carbon dioxide. In addition, the company owns 139 terminals that store a variety of products, including renewable fuels, petroleum products, chemicals and vegetable oils.

Being a leading midstream service provider, Kinder Morgan’s pipeline and storage assets are secured under long-term take-or-pay contracts. These contracts ensure that shippers pay for the capacity reserved, whether they utilize it or not, which provides a steady stream of revenues. This structure allows Kinder Morgan to generate stable earnings insulated from fluctuations in the volume of natural gas transported, offering significant stability to its bottom line.

The demand for natural gas in the United States is anticipated to continue to grow rapidly, backed by several important factors. As the nation shifts toward cleaner energy, natural gas is being increasingly utilized as a transitional fuel, given its cleaner-burning properties compared to coal and oil, which result in lower carbon emissions. Moreover, the rise in industrial activity and the growing demand for electricity, particularly from gas-powered plants, are fueling this increased demand. Additionally, the expansion of natural gas exports as liquefied natural gas to satisfy global energy needs further boosts domestic demand.

As a leading transporter of natural gas, Kinder Morgan, carrying a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), is well-positioned to benefit from the growing demand for natural gas, which in turn enhances the reliability of its earnings. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy)stocks here.

What’s Hurting Kinder Morgan?

However, there has been a slowdown in drilling activities, as upstream players mainly focus on stockholder returns rather than boosting output. This could affect demand for midstream assets. Other midstream players that might also be affected include The Williams Companies Inc. (WMB - Free Report) , Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPD - Free Report) and Enbridge Inc. (ENB).

Having ownership and operating interests in pipeline networks spanning 33,000 miles, The Williams Companies transports natural gas from the prolific basins in the United States to the end market.

Enterprise Products, a top-tier North American midstream service provider, boasts a vast and diversified asset portfolio. This includes more than 50,000 miles of pipelines and a storage capacity of 300 million barrels.

Enbridge is also a midstream energy player in North America, operating an extensive crude oil and liquids transportation network spanning 18,085 miles — the world's longest and most complex system.


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Williams Companies, Inc. (The) (WMB) - free report >>

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Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI) - free report >>

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