Core Insights - Midstream companies have lower exposure to oil and gas price volatility, making them attractive to risk-averse investors seeking stable income [1] Company Analysis - Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPD) is expected to generate additional fee-based earnings from $7.6 billion in major capital projects, while Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI) has an active project backlog of $8.8 billion [2] - EPD has a distribution coverage ratio of 1.7, indicating it generates 1.7 times the cash needed for distributions, while KMI's dividend payout is fully covered with a net income of $717 million against a dividend of $650 million [4] - EPD consistently offers a higher yield of 6.7% compared to KMI's 4.3% [5] - EPD holds the highest credit rating in the midstream sector, with $31.9 billion in total debt, 96% of which is fixed rate with a long maturity of 18 years [7] - KMI's net debt stands at $32.8 billion, with a leverage ratio of 4.1, indicating higher debt relative to earnings [8] - EPD's net debt to EBITDA ratio is 2.97, lower than KMI's 3.87, suggesting EPD can pay off its debt more quickly [9] - EPD retained $842 million in distributable cash flow for growth, while KMI increased its debt by approximately $1 billion to cover spending [10] Investment Considerations - EPD demonstrates stronger distribution safety, financial discipline, and balance sheet resilience compared to KMI, making it a more favorable investment option [14]