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Here's Why You Should Hold on to Enterprise (EPD) Stock Now

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Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPD - Free Report) has witnessed upward estimate revisions for 2020 and 2021 earnings in the past 30 days. In fact, four out of eight analysts have revised earnings estimates upward for 2020, while five of eight analysts have upwardly revised the same for 2021. Also, despite coronavirus-induced unfavourable business environment, this leading midstream energy player’s stock price has improved 3.2% month to date, outperforming the industry’s 2.2%.

Factors Working in Favor

The partnership, currently carrying Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), has a stable business model and is not significantly exposed to volatility in oil and gas prices. Enterprise generates stable fee-based revenues from the extensive pipeline network that spreads across roughly 50,000 miles, transporting natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil petrochemicals and refined products. Importantly, the pipelines are connected to the key shale plays in the United States and nearly 90% of the refineries in the east of Rockies.

The midstream infrastructure provider also has storage assets that have the capacity to store roughly 260 million barrels of NGL, petrochemical, refined products and crude oil. The assets can also store 14 billion cubic feet of natural gas. Moreover, Enterprise Products has $6.6 billion of major capital projects under construction that are likely to provide incremental fee-based revenues.

Also, the partnership’s balance sheet has lower debt exposure than the composite stocks belonging to the industry. Its debt to capitalization ratio of 0.53 is lower than the industry’s 0.58. In fact, the ratio has persistently been lower than the stocks belonging to the industry over the past few years. Moreover, the partnership’s long-term midstream contracts — which depict a stable business model — reflect its strong capability to pay off $29.9 billion of total debt principal outstanding as of Jun 30, 2020.

Risks

It is to be noted that although Enterprise’s long-term business fundamentals look good, the declining production of commodities owing to coronavirus-induced dented energy demand is likely to hurt short-term demand for the partnership’s midstream assets. Notably, lower natural gas pipeline transportation volumes and decreased propylene production volumes are hurting the partnership’s bottom line.

Importantly, although Enterprise has increased its distribution for 21 consecutive years, the partnership has been paying lower distribution yield than the composite stocks belonging to the industry.

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked players in the energy space include Concho Resources Inc. , Noble Energy Inc. and EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG - Free Report) , each holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Concho is likely to see earnings growth of 21.6% in 2020.

Noble Energy has witnessed upward estimate revisions for the bottom line for 2020 in the past 30 days.

EOG Resources’ 2020 bottom-line estimates have risen more than 200% over the past 30 days.

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