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My Honest Opinion of Energy Transfer Stock
The Motley Foolยท2025-08-06 00:09

Group 1: Company Overview - Energy Transfer operates a diversified midstream business, focusing on the transportation of oil and natural gas through its extensive pipeline infrastructure, generating reliable fee-based income [2][4] - The company has a distribution yield of 7.4%, which is higher than Enterprise Products Partners' 7% and Enbridge's 6% [4] Group 2: Business Complexity and Trust Issues - Energy Transfer's business model is more complex compared to its peers, as it serves as the general partner for two other publicly traded MLPs, making it harder to track [5] - The company cut its dividend in 2020 during the pandemic, which raises concerns about trust and consistency in its dividend payments, unlike Enterprise and Enbridge, which have a long history of increasing distributions [6][9] - Past events, such as the aborted acquisition of Williams Companies in 2016, have led to skepticism regarding insider favoritism over investor interests [7][8] Group 3: Investment Considerations - Despite the higher yield, the added risks associated with Energy Transfer, particularly regarding trust and business complexity, make it less attractive compared to alternatives like Enterprise and Enbridge [9]