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ET or KMI or WES
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Energy Transfer LP (ET) vs. Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI) vs. Western Midstream Partners, LP (WES) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Energy Transfer LP (ET), Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI), and Western Midstream Partners, LP (WES) are all midstream energy companies focused on natural gas and liquids transportation with fee-based revenue models that provide relative stability.
- ET recently increased its quarterly distribution to $0.34 per unit and is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 results on August 4, 2026, amid strong volume trends.
- KMI delivered record second-quarter 2026 net income and raised its dividend to $0.2975 per share following the July 22 earnings release.
- WES maintained its $0.93 per-unit distribution for the second quarter and will report results on August 5, 2026, following robust first-quarter Adjusted EBITDA growth.
- All three stocks trade at attractive dividend yields in the midstream sector, with recent performance influenced by natural gas demand and infrastructure expansion.
- Relative positioning reflects differences in scale, leverage, and growth catalysts within the broader energy infrastructure space.
Introduction
Midstream energy companies play a critical role in the U.S. energy supply chain by transporting and processing natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids. ET, KMI, and WES represent established players in this sector, each offering exposure to fee-based cash flows that tend to be less sensitive to short-term commodity price swings. This comparison is relevant for income-oriented investors and traders seeking to understand relative performance, dividend sustainability, and operational momentum in the current market environment. The analysis draws on recent financial releases and market activity to highlight key contrasts without projecting future outcomes.
ET Overview and Recent Performance
Energy Transfer LP (ET) operates one of the largest midstream networks in the United States, spanning natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids pipelines. In recent market activity, the company announced an increase in its quarterly cash distribution to $0.34 per common unit, marking the nineteenth consecutive quarterly raise and reflecting confidence in cash flow generation. ET is set to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on August 4, 2026. Stock price behavior has shown resilience amid broader energy sector interest, supported by record volumes in fractionation and transportation segments. Sentiment has been influenced by the distribution growth and expectations around upcoming results, with the unit price trading near recent highs in a consolidating range.
KMI Overview and Recent Performance
Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI) is a major operator of natural gas pipelines and terminals with additional exposure to CO2 transportation. The company reported record second-quarter 2026 net income and Adjusted EBITDA on July 22, 2026, with earnings per share rising 22% year-over-year. KMI approved a quarterly dividend of $0.2975 per share, a 2% increase from the prior year. In recent weeks, the stock has exhibited modest gains within a narrow trading range, supported by the strong quarterly results and a substantial project backlog in natural gas infrastructure. Market positioning benefits from the fee-based business model and contracted demand, contributing to stable sentiment following the earnings release.
WES Overview and Recent Performance
Western Midstream Partners, LP (WES) focuses on gathering, processing, and transporting natural gas and crude oil, primarily in the Permian and other basins. The partnership declared a second-quarter 2026 distribution of $0.93 per unit, payable in August 2026, consistent with prior levels and supported by prior-quarter results that included 15% year-over-year Adjusted EBITDA growth. WES is scheduled to report second-quarter results on August 5, 2026. Recent price action has reflected positive operational momentum, with the unit trading near the upper end of its 52-week range amid sector tailwinds from energy infrastructure demand. Sentiment remains constructive around cash flow visibility and distribution stability.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
ET operates at larger scale with higher revenue and EBITDA figures compared with KMI and WES, though it carries greater leverage. KMI has delivered recent earnings beats and maintains a balanced capital structure with a notable project backlog, differentiating it on stability metrics. WES emphasizes basin-specific gathering assets and has posted consistent distribution growth alongside strong EBITDA expansion in recent quarters. Valuation sensitivity varies: ET trades at a lower multiple while offering a higher yield, KMI reflects premium positioning post-earnings, and WES shows resilience tied to operational leverage in key regions. Sector exposure centers on natural gas for all three, with differing degrees of crude oil and NGL involvement influencing relative momentum during periods of energy demand shifts. Trade-offs include ET’s distribution growth potential versus KMI’s earnings consistency and WES’s focused asset base.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors such as recent earnings delivery, distribution consistency, and positioning within the midstream sector, Tickeron’s AI would currently assign a higher probability of relative favor to KMI. The company’s record second-quarter results and dividend adjustment provide a clear near-term catalyst amid stable sector conditions. ET and WES remain competitive on yield and upcoming reports, with outcomes likely influenced by their respective earnings releases and broader energy infrastructure trends.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
ET’s FA Score shows that 2 FA rating(s) are green whileKMI’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s), and WES’s FA Score reflects 4 green FA rating(s).
- ET’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- KMI’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- WES’s FA Score: 4 green, 1 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
ET’s TA Score shows that 5 TA indicator(s) are bullish while KMI’s TA Score has 3 bullish TA indicator(s), and WES’s TA Score reflects 5 bullish TA indicator(s).
- ET’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 5 bearish.
- KMI’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 6 bearish.
- WES’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
ET (@Oil & Gas Pipelines) experienced а +0.52% price change this week, while KMI (@Oil & Gas Pipelines) price change was -3.24% , and WES (@Oil & Gas Pipelines) price fluctuated +0.11% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Oil & Gas Pipelines industry was -1.47%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -1.50%, and the average quarterly price growth was +16.64%.
Reported Earning Dates
ET is expected to report earnings on Nov 04, 2026.
KMI is expected to report earnings on Oct 21, 2026.
WES is expected to report earnings on Nov 10, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Oil & Gas Pipelines (-1.47% weekly)Oil & Gas Pipelines industry includes companies that transport natural gas and crude oil through pipelines. These companies also collect and market the fuels. The pipeline segment could be considered as a midstream operation – functioning as a link between the upstream and downstream operations in the oil and gas industry. Some of the largest U.S. pipeline players include Enterprise Products Partners L.P, TC Energy Corporation and Energy Transfer, L.P.
| ET | KMI | WES | |
| Capitalization | 69.3B | 68.7B | 19.7B |
| EBITDA | 17.4B | 7.7B | 2.41B |
| Gain YTD | 28.624 | 15.422 | 25.773 |
| P/E Ratio | 13.79 | 19.90 | 14.75 |
| Revenue | 107B | 18B | 4.05B |
| Total Cash | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total Debt | 71.1B | 32.1B | 8.71B |
ET | KMI | WES | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 31 | 85 | 76 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 5 Undervalued | 20 Undervalued | 4 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 12 | 9 | 2 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 99 | 68 | 28 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 47 | 54 | 45 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 51 | 61 | 29 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 65 | 65 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
WES's Valuation (4) in the Oil Refining Or Marketing industry is in the same range as ET (5) in the Oil And Gas Pipelines industry, and is in the same range as KMI (20) in the Oil And Gas Pipelines industry. This means that WES's stock grew similarly to ET’s and similarly to KMI’s over the last 12 months.
WES's Profit vs Risk Rating (2) in the Oil Refining Or Marketing industry is in the same range as KMI (9) in the Oil And Gas Pipelines industry, and is in the same range as ET (12) in the Oil And Gas Pipelines industry. This means that WES's stock grew similarly to KMI’s and similarly to ET’s over the last 12 months.
WES's SMR Rating (28) in the Oil Refining Or Marketing industry is somewhat better than the same rating for KMI (68) in the Oil And Gas Pipelines industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for ET (99) in the Oil And Gas Pipelines industry. This means that WES's stock grew somewhat faster than KMI’s and significantly faster than ET’s over the last 12 months.
WES's Price Growth Rating (45) in the Oil Refining Or Marketing industry is in the same range as ET (47) in the Oil And Gas Pipelines industry, and is in the same range as KMI (54) in the Oil And Gas Pipelines industry. This means that WES's stock grew similarly to ET’s and similarly to KMI’s over the last 12 months.
WES's P/E Growth Rating (29) in the Oil Refining Or Marketing industry is in the same range as ET (51) in the Oil And Gas Pipelines industry, and is in the same range as KMI (61) in the Oil And Gas Pipelines industry. This means that WES's stock grew similarly to ET’s and similarly to KMI’s over the last 12 months.
| ET | KMI | WES | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 64% | N/A | 3 days ago 60% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 34% | 3 days ago 66% | 3 days ago 49% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 59% | 3 days ago 40% | 3 days ago 70% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 43% | 3 days ago 38% | 3 days ago 43% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 54% | 3 days ago 44% | 3 days ago 66% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 53% | 3 days ago 40% | 3 days ago 64% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 53% | 17 days ago 58% | 18 days ago 65% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 14 days ago 40% | 5 days ago 42% | 5 days ago 42% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 36% | 3 days ago 71% | 3 days ago 49% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 54% | 3 days ago 40% | 3 days ago 60% |
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ET and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, ET has been loosely correlated with OKE. These tickers have moved in lockstep 60% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if ET jumps, then OKE could also see price increases.
KMI and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, KMI has been closely correlated with WMB. These tickers have moved in lockstep 79% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if KMI jumps, then WMB could also see price increases.
WES and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, WES has been loosely correlated with PAGP. These tickers have moved in lockstep 56% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if WES jumps, then PAGP could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To WES | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WES | 100% | -0.72% | ||
| PAGP - WES | 56% Loosely correlated | -2.52% | ||
| PAA - WES | 56% Loosely correlated | -3.02% | ||
| ET - WES | 54% Loosely correlated | -0.98% | ||
| OKE - WES | 54% Loosely correlated | -1.72% | ||
| TRGP - WES | 53% Loosely correlated | -4.24% | ||
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