Kinder Morgan Shares Rise After Strong Fourth-Quarter Results

Core Viewpoint - Kinder Morgan's fourth-quarter results exceeded Wall Street expectations, driven by record performance in natural gas pipeline operations [1] Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings were reported at $0.39 per share, surpassing analyst estimates of $0.36 [2] - Revenue increased to $4.51 billion, exceeding the consensus forecast of $4.32 billion [2] - Cash flow from operations totaled $1.7 billion, while free cash flow after capital expenditures reached $0.9 billion, representing increases of 12% and 18% year-over-year, respectively [4] Operational Highlights - Natural gas transportation volumes rose 9% year-over-year, primarily due to increased liquefied natural gas deliveries on the Tennessee Gas Pipeline [3] - Natural gas gathering volumes increased by 19% across the portfolio, with the KinderHawk system contributing the largest share of the increase [3] Future Outlook - The company expects adjusted earnings per share of $1.36 in 2026, indicating a 5% growth from 2025 [4] - Kinder Morgan plans to raise its annual dividend by 2% to $1.19 per share in 2026 [4]