Plains All American Announces 10% Increase in Q4 2025 Cash Distributions
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 05 2026
0mins
Should l Buy PAA?
Source: Globenewswire
- Cash Distribution Increase: Plains All American Pipeline announced a Q4 2025 cash distribution of $0.4175 per common unit, annualizing to $1.67, reflecting a $0.0375 increase from November 2025, or a 10% annualized growth, which is likely to boost investor confidence and attract more capital inflows.
- Preferred Unit Distribution: PAA's Series A preferred units will receive a cash distribution of $0.61524 per unit, annualizing to $2.46, demonstrating the company's ongoing commitment to maintaining stable cash flows, which is crucial for its market position in the energy infrastructure sector.
- Tax Implications Expected: Due to the pending sale of NGL assets, PAGP anticipates that part of its 2026 cash distribution will be taxable as dividends, which may influence investors' tax planning and encourage more cautious future investment decisions.
- Earnings Release Schedule: PAA and PAGP will release their Q4 2025 earnings before market open on February 6, 2026, followed by a conference call, which is expected to attract significant attention from analysts and investors, thereby enhancing the company's transparency and market trust.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy PAA?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on PAA
Wall Street analysts forecast PAA stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for PAA is 20.19 USD with a low forecast of 16.50 USD and a high forecast of 23.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
8 Analyst Rating
3 Buy
4 Hold
1 Sell
Hold
Current: 19.970
Low
16.50
Averages
20.19
High
23.00
Current: 19.970
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.
Pipeline Overview: The Plains All American Pipeline is a significant player in the oil and gas industry, focusing on transportation and storage of crude oil and natural gas liquids.
Financial Performance: The company reported an adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.40 for the fourth quarter, indicating a stable financial performance amidst market fluctuations.
See More
- 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.
See More
- 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.
See More
- 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.
See More
- Philip Morris Earnings Outlook: The expected EPS for Q4 2025 is $1.67, representing a 7.74% increase year-over-year, showcasing the company's ability to consistently exceed market expectations and enhancing its competitive edge in the tobacco industry.
- Cboe Global Markets Performance: The forecasted EPS is $2.93, reflecting a significant 39.52% increase from the previous year, indicating a strong recovery and improved profitability that may attract more investor interest.
- Biogen Earnings Warning: The anticipated EPS is $1.60, a substantial 53.49% decrease compared to last year, highlighting significant challenges the company faces, which could impact market confidence and stock performance.
- AerCap's Stability: The expected EPS is $3.31, unchanged from last year, indicating the company's resilience in the transportation sector, maintaining profitability despite industry fluctuations.
See More









