Kinder Morgan (KMI) Up 9.6% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Continue?

Core Viewpoint - Kinder Morgan's recent earnings report shows strong performance, with adjusted EPS and total revenues exceeding estimates, driven primarily by the Natural Gas Pipelines segment [2][3]. Financial Performance - Kinder Morgan reported Q4 2025 adjusted EPS of 39 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 37 cents, and increased from 32 cents year over year [2]. - Total quarterly revenues reached $4.5 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.4 billion, and up from $4 billion in the prior-year quarter [2]. Segmental Analysis - Natural Gas Pipelines: Adjusted EBDA rose to $1.63 billion from $1.43 billion year over year, achieving record results due to higher contributions from Texas Intrastate system and increased transport volumes [4]. - Product Pipelines: EBDA increased to $307 million from $299 million year over year, attributed to higher transport rates [5]. - Terminals: Generated EBDA of $294 million, up from $282 million year over year, with liquids utilization at 92.9%, down from 95.2% [6]. - CO2: EBDA decreased to $145 million from $161 million year over year [6]. Operational Highlights - Total operating costs increased to $3.14 billion from $2.88 billion, with operational and maintenance expenses at $787 million, up from $761 million [7]. - Kinder Morgan's project backlog stood at $10 billion, with natural gas projects making up approximately 90% of this backlog [7]. Balance Sheet - As of December 31, 2025, Kinder Morgan reported $63 million in cash and cash equivalents, with long-term debt at $30.6 billion [8]. Outlook - For 2026, Kinder Morgan projects net income attributable to KMI at $3.1 billion and adjusted EPS at $1.36 per share, with budgeted Adjusted EBITDA of $8.6 billion [9]. - The company anticipates a net debt-to-adjusted EBITDA ratio of 3.8x by the end of 2026 [9]. Estimate Trends - Since the earnings release, there has been a downward trend in estimates for Kinder Morgan [10][12]. VGM Scores - Kinder Morgan has a subpar Growth Score of D, a Momentum Score of D, and a Value Score of D, placing it in the bottom 40% for value investors [11].