Industry Overview - The Zacks Oil and Gas - Pipeline MLP industry consists of master limited partnerships that primarily transport oil, natural gas, refined petroleum products, and natural gas liquids in North America, generating stable fee-based revenues from transportation and storage assets [3] - The industry is currently facing a gloomy outlook due to conservative spending by exploration and production companies, which is expected to reduce demand for transportation and storage assets [1][6] Financial Metrics - The industry has a high debt-to-capitalization ratio of 55.7%, indicating that borrowing is common for financing large infrastructure projects, but this elevated leverage may limit financial flexibility [4] - The current trailing 12-month enterprise value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio for the industry is 10.49X, which is lower than the S&P 500's 18.55X but higher than the sector's 5.26X [14] Market Performance - The Zacks Oil and Gas - Pipeline MLP industry has underperformed compared to the broader Zacks Oil - Energy sector and the S&P 500 over the past year, declining by 4.3% while the sector gained 7.6% and the S&P 500 rose by 17.8% [10] Future Challenges - The industry is expected to face challenges from a shift to renewable energy, which may reduce the demand for pipeline and storage networks for oil and natural gas [5] - Oil and gas exploration and production companies are under pressure to prioritize stockholder returns over production growth, which is negatively impacting the demand for pipeline and storage assets [6] Notable Companies - Delek US Holdings, Inc. is positioned to benefit from its refining business, with expected growth of almost 40% in 2025 [18] - Energy Transfer LP has a stable business model with a vast pipeline network and is projected to see earnings growth of 7% this year [19] - Plains All American Pipeline LP also enjoys stable fee-based revenues and has seen upward earnings estimate revisions for 2025 [22]

Core Insights - Companies with a strong history of dividend payments and increases are attractive to income-focused investors, with CareTrust REIT, Hess Midstream, and Kimberly-Clark recently announcing dividend hikes and offering yields up to approximately 8% [1] CareTrust REIT - CareTrust REIT Inc. is a real estate investment trust focused on seniors housing and healthcare-related properties [2] - The company has raised its dividends annually for the last 10 years, with the most recent increase on March 18, raising the quarterly payout from $0.29 to $0.335 per share, equating to an annual figure of $1.34 per share [3] - As of June 30, CareTrust's annual revenue was $277.03 million, with Q2 2025 revenues of $112.47 million and EPS of $0.43, both exceeding expectations [4] Hess Midstream - Hess Midstream LP operates midstream assets and provides fee-based services, having increased dividends for the last eight years [5] - The latest dividend hike on July 28 raised the quarterly payout from $0.7098 to $0.737 per share, resulting in an annual figure of $2.95 per share, with a current dividend yield of 8.64% [5] - The company's annual revenue as of June 30 was $1.57 billion, with Q2 2025 revenues of $414.20 million and EPS of $0.74, both surpassing market expectations [6] Kimberly-Clark - Kimberly-Clark Corp. is engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of personal care products on an international scale [7]

Core Points - Targa Resources Corp. declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.00 per common share for Q3 2025, equating to an annualized rate of $4.00 per share, payable on November 17, 2025, to shareholders of record as of October 31, 2025 [1] - The company will report its Q3 2025 financial results on November 5, 2025, before market opening, followed by a live webcast at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the results [2][3] - A replay of the webcast will be available approximately two hours after the event, along with a quarterly earnings supplement presentation and updated investor presentation [4] Company Overview - Targa Resources Corp. is a leading provider of midstream services and one of the largest independent infrastructure companies in North America, owning and operating a diversified portfolio of infrastructure assets critical for energy delivery [5] - The company's assets connect natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) to both domestic and international markets, catering to the growing demand for cleaner fuels and feedstocks [5] - Targa is a FORTUNE 500 company and is included in the S&P 500 [6]

Company Overview - Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. (NYSE: PAA) is a midstream Master Limited Partnership (MLP) with a market capitalization exceeding $12 billion and offers a high single-digit dividend yield [2]. Performance Analysis - The company has underperformed the market in recent times, indicating potential challenges in its operational or market strategy [2]. Investment Strategy - The Value Portfolio focuses on constructing retirement portfolios through a fact-based research strategy, which includes thorough analysis of 10Ks, analyst commentary, market reports, and investor presentations [2].

Core Insights - Baker Hughes Company (BKR) reported second-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings of 63 cents per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 55 cents and improving from 57 cents year-over-year [1] - Total quarterly revenues reached $6,910 million, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6,633 million and increasing from $6,418 million in the same quarter last year [1] - The strong performance was attributed to cost improvements and operational efficiency [1] Segmental Performance - BKR reorganized its operations into two segments: Oilfield Services and Equipment (OFSE) and Industrial and Energy Technology (IET), effective October 1, 2022 [2] - Revenues from the OFSE unit were $3,617 million, a 10% decrease from $4,011 million year-over-year, but above the estimate of $3,569 million [2] - EBITDA from the OFSE segment totaled $677 million, down 5% from $716 million in Q2 2024, impacted by inflation and revenue mix, partially offset by productivity from cost-out initiatives [3] - Revenues from the IET unit amounted to $3,293 million, a 5% increase from $3,128 million year-over-year, exceeding the estimate of $3,038 million [3] - EBITDA from the IET segment was $585 million, an 18% increase from $497 million in the previous year, driven by productivity, positive pricing, and favorable foreign exchange [4] Costs & Expenses - Total costs and expenses for Baker Hughes were $5,943 million in Q2, down from $6,315 million year-over-year, while the projection was $5,033 million [5] Orders - Total orders from all business segments were $7,032 million, a 7% decline from $7,526 million a year ago, with the decrease primarily attributed to lower order intake in the OFSE segment [6] Free Cash Flow - Baker Hughes generated free cash flow of $239 million, compared to $106 million in the same quarter last year [7] Capex & Balance Sheet - Net capital expenditure for BKR in Q2 was $271 million [8] - As of June 30, 2025, BKR had cash and cash equivalents of $3,087 million and long-term debt of $5,968 million, resulting in a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 25.8% [8]

Core Points - Targa Resources Corp. has declared an increase in its quarterly cash dividend to $1.00 per common share, which is an annualized rate of $4.00 per share, marking a 33% increase from the first quarter of 2024 [1] - The dividend will be paid on May 15, 2025, to shareholders on record as of April 30, 2025 [1] - The company will report its first quarter 2025 financial results on May 1, 2025, and will host a live webcast to discuss these results [2][3] Company Overview - Targa Resources Corp. is a leading provider of midstream services and one of the largest independent infrastructure companies in North America [4] - The company operates a diversified portfolio of midstream infrastructure assets that are essential for the delivery of energy across the United States and to international markets [4] - Targa's operations include gathering, processing, transporting, and selling natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs), as well as crude oil services [4]