Kinder Morgan vs. NextDecade: Which Energy Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?

Industry
โดย The Motley Fool·Read original
Summary · why it matters

Kinder Morgan and NextDecade offer contrasting energy investments as the industry shifts toward cleaner fuels. Kinder Morgan, a $70 billion midstream giant, operates nearly 78,000 miles of pipelines and 136 terminals, transporting about 40% of U.S. natural gas, and reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $16.9 billion with net income of $3.1 billion and free cash flow of nearly $3.2 billion. NextDecade is a development-stage company building the Rio Grande LNG export terminal in Texas, targeting 48 million tonnes per annum across eight liquefaction trains, but it posted a net loss of $306.4 million and negative free cash flow of $5 billion in fiscal 2025, with a debt-to-equity ratio of roughly 90.8 times. Kinder Morgan’s forward price-to-earnings ratio stands at 21.6 times, below NextDecade’s 23.6 times and near the sector benchmark of 21.4 times, while NextDecade lacks a traditional price-to-sales ratio. The analysis concludes that NextDecade may appeal to those seeking growth optionality from surging global LNG demand, particularly from Asia-Pacific, though it carries far higher risk than Kinder Morgan’s stable, fee-based income stream.

Impact on stocks 3

Energy Transition & Power Demand · 3 stocks
Nextdecade Corp
NEXT
▲ PositiveDemandrelevance

Article cites surging global LNG demand from Asia-Pacific as growth opportunity for its Rio Grande LNG terminal.

Kinder Morgan Inc
KMI
▲ PositiveDemandrelevance

Article highlights stable fee-based income from transporting 40% of U.S. natural gas, implying steady demand for its services.

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