Energy Midstream Firms Show Significant Dividend Growth
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 29 2026
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Should l Buy PAA?
Source: Fool
- Delek Logistics Dividend Increase: Delek Logistics Partners declared a quarterly distribution of $1.125 per unit, a 0.4% increase from the previous quarter, extending its distribution growth streak to 52 consecutive quarters with a current yield of 9%, reflecting stable cash flows and financial flexibility.
- Hess Midstream Steady Growth: Hess Midstream's quarterly cash distribution is $0.7641 per share, a 1.2% increase from the prior quarter, with a cumulative dividend growth of 65% since 2021, and an expected annual increase of at least 5% through 2028, ensuring predictable cash flows.
- Plains All American Dividend Boost: Plains All American Pipeline announced a quarterly distribution of $0.4175 per unit, a 10% increase from its prior level, with a compound annual growth rate of 21% over the last four years, currently yielding 8.5%, demonstrating financial flexibility and ongoing investment capacity.
- High Yields Attract Investors: With yields between 8% and 9%, Delek Logistics, Hess Midstream, and Plains All American Pipeline regularly increase their payouts, making them appealing options for investors seeking stable passive income streams.
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Analyst Views on PAA
Wall Street analysts forecast PAA stock price to rise
8 Analyst Rating
3 Buy
4 Hold
1 Sell
Hold
Current: 19.780
Low
16.50
Averages
20.19
High
23.00
Current: 19.780
Low
16.50
Averages
20.19
High
23.00
About PAA
Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. owns and operates midstream energy infrastructure and provides logistics services for crude oil and natural gas liquids (NGL). It owns a network of pipeline gathering and transportation systems, in addition to terminalling, storage, processing, fractionation and other infrastructure assets serving key producing basins, transportation corridors and major market hubs and export outlets in the United States and Canada. Its Crude Oil segment operations consist of gathering and transporting crude oil using pipelines, gathering systems, trucks and at times on barges or railcars. Its assets provide services to third parties as well as to its merchant activities. Its NGL segment operations involve natural gas processing and NGL fractionation, storage, transportation and terminalling. NGL segment offers merchant activities include the acquisition of extraction rights from producers and/or shippers of the gas streams that pass through its Empress facility.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Investor Preference: During turbulent and uncertain market conditions, many investors gravitate towards high dividend-yielding stocks, which typically possess strong free cash flows and reward shareholders with substantial dividend payouts.
- Energy Sector Performance: Analyst ratings for three high-yielding energy stocks, namely Evolution Petroleum Corp (NYSE:EPM), Vitesse Energy Inc (NYSE:VTS), and Plains All American Pipeline LP (NASDAQ:PAA), indicate their strong appeal to investors in the current market environment.
- Analyst Accuracy: The ratings for these stocks come from the most accurate analysts, suggesting that in uncertain market conditions, investors are increasingly relying on professional advice to ensure the safety and profitability of their investments.
- Market Trends: As market volatility intensifies, the demand for high dividend stocks may continue to rise, reflecting not only a desire for stable income but also potentially influencing the overall flow of funds in the market.
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- Earnings Report: Plains All American Pipeline reported Q4 earnings of $0.40 per share, missing the analyst consensus of $0.41, indicating a decline in profitability that may affect investor confidence.
- Sales Decline: The company reported quarterly sales of $10.565 billion, falling short of the $12.731 billion consensus estimate, reflecting weak market demand that could pressure future performance.
- Stock Price Reaction: Following the earnings announcement, Plains All American's shares fell 1.6% to $19.09, indicating market reaction to disappointing results, which may impact the company's short-term financing capabilities.
- Analyst Rating Adjustments: Analysts adjusted their price targets, with Wells Fargo raising its target from $20 to $21, while Barclays and Scotiabank increased their targets to $18 and $23 respectively, reflecting cautious optimism about the stock's future.
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- Strategic Transition: Plains All American is undergoing a strategic transition by divesting its NGL business and acquiring the Cactus III pipeline, enhancing cash flow quality and sustainability, positioning the company competitively for future market cycles.
- Cost Savings Target: The company aims to achieve $100 million in annual cost savings by 2027, with approximately 50% expected to be realized in 2026, significantly improving operational efficiency and enhancing profitability.
- Distribution Policy Adjustment: A 10% quarterly distribution increase brings the annual distribution to $1.67 per unit, while lowering the coverage ratio threshold from 160% to 150%, reflecting improved business visibility and paving the way for future distribution growth.
- Financial Performance: The fourth quarter adjusted EBITDA reached $738 million, with a full-year adjusted EBITDA of $2.833 billion, demonstrating the company's financial resilience and growth potential during its transition phase.
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- Earnings Shortfall: Plains All American Pipeline reported a Q4 GAAP EPS of $0.26, missing expectations by $0.17, indicating a significant decline in profitability that could undermine investor confidence.
- Revenue Decline: The company’s Q4 revenue of $10.57 billion represents a 14.8% year-over-year drop and fell short of the expected $11.31 billion, reflecting weak market demand and operational challenges that may pressure future cash flows.
- Market Reaction: Following the disappointing results, BofA downgraded Plains All American to a 'Sell' rating, which could further erode investor confidence and negatively impact the stock price.
- Yield Sustainability Concerns: Although the company offers yields exceeding 8%, the current financial performance raises caution among investors regarding sustainability, particularly amid increasing market volatility.
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- Net Income Surge: Plains All American reported a net income of $342 million for Q4 2025 and $1.435 billion for the full year, marking an 86% increase from 2024, which reflects strong performance in the midstream oil and gas market and is likely to boost investor confidence.
- Adjusted EBITDA Growth: The company achieved an adjusted EBITDA of $738 million in Q4 and $2.833 billion for the year, demonstrating effective cost control and operational efficiency, which are expected to support future capital expenditures and distributions.
- 2026 Outlook and Distribution Increase: Plains anticipates a midpoint adjusted EBITDA of $2.75 billion for 2026 and announced a $0.15 per unit increase in distributions, representing a 10% rise in the annualized distribution rate, enhancing return expectations for investors and attracting more capital inflows.
- Strategic Asset Divestiture: The company plans to complete the sale of its Canadian NGL business by the end of Q1 2026, which is expected to optimize asset allocation and reduce leverage ratios, further solidifying its leadership position in the North American midstream market.
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