ZACKSยท2025-06-09 15:31Industry Overview - Natural gas distribution pipelines are essential for delivering natural gas to consumers, with nearly 3 million pipelines in the U.S. [1] - Rising domestic natural gas output is driven by increased exports and public awareness of emissions reduction [2] - The natural gas sector requires consistent funding for maintenance and repair of aging infrastructure, with anticipated interest rate cuts expected to lower capital servicing costs [3] Demand and Growth Projections - Natural gas consumption for electricity generation is projected to contribute nearly 40% in 2025 and 2026 [5] - U.S. natural gas exports are expected to grow by 3.4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2025 and 2.1 Bcf/d in 2026, with export volumes increasing by 8% in 2025 and 7% in 2026 [5] Company Comparisons - MDU Resources has a market capitalization of $3.43 billion, while Southwest Gas has $5.11 billion [6] - MDU's 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimate has increased by 1.1% to 95 cents, while Southwest Gas's EPS estimate has increased by 4.8% to $3.72 [7] - MDU has a return on equity (ROE) of 9.86%, compared to Southwest Gas's 6.76%, both above the industry average of 9.24% [8] Financial Metrics - MDU has a lower debt-to-capital ratio of 44.44% compared to Southwest Gas's 57.36%, with the industry average at 50.49% [11] - MDU's stock has lost 0.5% over the past three months, while Southwest Gas has declined by 2.3% [10][12] - MDU's dividend yield is 3.1%, while Southwest Gas's is 3.49%, both exceeding the S&P 500 average of 1.24% [13] Valuation - Both companies are trading at a premium on a forward 12-month P/E basis, with MDU at 17.16X and Southwest Gas at 17.98X, compared to the industry average of 14.84X [14] Conclusion - Both MDU Resources and Southwest Gas are positioned well for growth, but MDU is favored due to its superior ROE, debt management, and stock performance [15]