Core Insights - The S&P 500's dividend yield is currently at 1.1%, nearing an all-time low, leading to fewer stocks offering attractive income streams. However, companies like Delek Logistics Partners, Hess Midstream, and Plains All American Pipeline provide yields up to 9% and have recently increased their payouts [1]. Delek Logistics Partners - Delek Logistics Partners declared a quarterly distribution payment of $1.125 per unit, reflecting a 0.4% increase from the previous quarter, extending its distribution growth streak to 52 consecutive quarters and raising its yield to 9% [2]. - The company generated enough cash to cover its distribution payment by over 1.3 times last year, allowing for reinvestment in expansion projects and maintaining financial flexibility [3]. - Delek's market cap is $2.7 billion, with a gross margin of 22.31% and a dividend yield of 8.86%. Recent investments include the completion of the Libby 2 gas processing plant and the acquisition of Gravity Water [5]. Hess Midstream - Hess Midstream announced a quarterly cash distribution payment of $0.7641 per share, a 1.2% increase from the prior quarter, resulting in a yield of 8.2%. The company has increased its dividend by 65% since 2021 [6]. - The company has 100% fee-based minimum-volume contracts, providing stability in cash flow through 2028, and expects to increase its dividend by at least 5% annually during this period while generating about $1 billion in excess free cash flow [9]. - Hess Midstream's market cap is $4.7 billion, with a gross margin of 63.94% and a dividend yield of 8.07% [7]. Plains All American Pipeline - Plains All American Pipeline announced a quarterly distribution payment of $0.4175 per unit, a 10% increase from the previous level, resulting in a yield of 8.5%. The company has grown its payout at a 21% compound annual rate over the last four years [10]. - The company is selling its Canadian natural gas liquids business for $3.8 billion, which will enhance its financial position and allow for reinvestment into its oil pipeline operations [12]. - Plains has the financial flexibility to invest in organic expansion projects and acquisitions, which will help grow its cash flow and continue increasing its high-yielding distribution [13]. Investment Opportunities - The energy midstream sector, represented by Delek Logistics Partners, Hess Midstream, and Plains All American Pipeline, offers attractive passive income investment opportunities with yields between 8% and 9%, and all three companies have a history of regularly raising their payments [14].

Core Insights - The midstream sector is demonstrating strong financial health at the start of 2026, with numerous companies announcing increases in distributions and dividends, reinforcing its position as a reliable income source for investors [1] Payout Growth Across Midstream - Williams (WMB) raised its quarterly cash dividend to $0.525 from $0.50, a 5% increase [1] - Plains All American (PAA/PAGP) increased its quarterly distribution to $0.4175 per unit, reflecting a 9.9% rise [1] - Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) raised its distribution to $0.55, nearly a 1% increase [1] - ONEOK (OKE) announced a 4% sequential increase to $1.07 per share [1] Broad Sector Momentum - Energy Transfer (ET) increased its quarterly distribution to $0.335, a 3.1% year-over-year rise from $0.325 [1] - Hess Midstream (HESM) raised its payout to $0.7641, marking a 9.0% year-over-year increase [1] - Sunoco LP (SUN) announced a distribution of $0.9317, a 5.1% year-over-year increase [1] - Genesis Energy (GEL) raised its distribution by $0.015 to $0.18 per unit, a 9.1% increase [1] - Kinetik (KNTK) raised its payout to $0.81, reflecting a 4% sequential increase [1] - Delek Logistics (DKL) increased its payout to $1.125, representing a 1.85% year-over-year rise [1] ETF Exposure - Energy Transfer, Enterprise, Hess Midstream, Genesis, Delek Logistics, Sunoco, and Plains are included in both the Alerian MLP ETF (AMLP) and the Alerian Energy Infrastructure ETF (ENFR) [1] - AMLP tracks the Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index (AMZI), while ENFR tracks the Alerian Midstream Energy Select Index (AMEI) [1] - Williams, ONEOK, and Kinetik operate as C-corps, with only ENFR holding them [1]

Core Insights - Three stocks are highlighted with strong buy rankings and positive momentum characteristics for investors to consider on January 22nd Group 1: Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria (BBVA) - BBVA is engaged in a variety of banking and financial activities in Spain and has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) [1] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BBVA's current year earnings has increased by 0.5% over the last 60 days [1] - BBVA's shares have gained 27.9% over the last three months, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 2.5% [2] - The company possesses a Momentum Score of A [2] Group 2: Metropolitan Bank Holding (MCB) - MCB is a chartered commercial bank providing various financial services and has a Zacks Rank of 1 [3] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MCB's current year earnings has increased by 7% over the last 60 days [3] - MCB's shares have gained 20.8% over the last three months, also outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 2.5% [4] - The company possesses a Momentum Score of A [4] Group 3: Plains All American Pipeline (PAA) - PAA is a master limited partnership involved in the transportation and marketing of crude oil and natural gas in the U.S. and Canada, with a Zacks Rank of 1 [5] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PAA's current year earnings has increased by 4.8% over the last 60 days [5] - PAA's shares have gained 18.4% over the last three months, again outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 2.5% [6] - The company possesses a Momentum Score of A [6]

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of utilizing Zacks Premium for investors to enhance their stock market confidence and investment strategies [1] Zacks Style Scores - Zacks Style Scores are indicators designed to help investors select stocks with the highest potential to outperform the market within a 30-day timeframe, rated from A to F based on value, growth, and momentum [3] - The Value Score focuses on identifying undervalued stocks using financial ratios such as P/E, PEG, and Price/Sales [4] - The Growth Score assesses a company's financial health and future outlook through projected earnings, sales, and cash flow [5] - The Momentum Score identifies stocks benefiting from upward or downward trends in price or earnings estimates [6] - The VGM Score combines the three Style Scores to highlight stocks with attractive value, strong growth forecasts, and promising momentum [7] Zacks Rank - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model that leverages earnings estimate revisions to guide investors in building successful portfolios, with 1 (Strong Buy) stocks achieving an average annual return of +23.9% since 1988, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [8] - There are typically over 800 top-rated stocks available, making it essential for investors to utilize Style Scores to narrow down their choices [9] - To maximize returns, investors should target stocks with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and Style Scores of A or B [10] Company Spotlight: Plains All American Pipeline (PAA) - Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. is a master limited partnership involved in the transportation and marketing of crude oil and natural gas across the U.S. and Canada [12] - PAA holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) and a VGM Score of A, with a Momentum Style Score of B, reflecting a 7.1% increase in shares over the past four weeks [13] - Recent analyst revisions have positively impacted PAA's earnings estimates for fiscal 2025, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate rising by $0.07 to $1.53 per share, and an average earnings surprise of +4.2% [13][14]

Core Insights - High Yield Investor is celebrating its fifth anniversary by offering a 30-day money-back guarantee, encouraging new memberships and the release of their Top Picks for 2026 [1] Company Overview - Samuel Smith, a lead analyst and Vice President at various dividend stock research firms, leads the High Yield Investor group, which focuses on balancing safety, growth, yield, and value in investment strategies [1] - The High Yield Investor group provides real-money core, retirement, and international portfolios, along with regular trade alerts, educational content, and an active chat room for investors [1] Investment Strategy - The article discusses the common perception among investors that there is a trade-off between yield and growth, as well as quality and total return potential, particularly among younger investors [1]

Core Viewpoint - Plains All American Pipeline is transitioning to a pure-play crude operator, aiming for more stable cash flows and stronger distribution growth following significant acquisitions and divestitures [1]. Group 1: Strategic Transactions - Plains acquired 100% ownership of the EPIC Crude pipeline system for approximately $1.3 billion, which includes around $500 million in debt [3][4]. - The acquisition was completed in two parts: a 55% stake from Diamondback and Kinetik, followed by a 45% interest from an Ares private equity portfolio company [4]. - The company plans to rename the EPIC system to Cactus III and integrate it with its existing Cactus long-haul infrastructure [4]. Group 2: Financial Projections - CEO Willie Chiang described the EPIC acquisitions as "highly synergistic and very strategic," projecting a mid-teens unlevered return [5]. - Management anticipates a 2026 adjusted EBITDA multiple of approximately 10x, with expectations for meaningful improvement in the coming years [5]. Group 3: Divestiture - Plains is selling its entire Canadian NGL business to Keyera for $5.15 billion, with the deal expected to close by the end of Q1 2026, pending regulatory approvals [6]. - Two of the three required approvals have been secured, including U.S. Hart-Scott-Rodino and Canadian Transportation Act approvals, while the Canadian Competition Bureau approval is still in progress [6]. Group 4: Operational Benefits - The EPIC acquisition allows Plains to control operatorship, facilitating synergy capture across the entire system [7]. - Near-term benefits include contractual step-ups, reduced operating costs, quality optimization opportunities, and better utilization of existing Permian and Eagle Ford assets [7]. - Long-term, the system offers expansion capacity that could enhance Gulf Coast access as demand increases [7]. Group 5: Contractual Stability - A significant portion of EPIC's contracts are long-term, with medium-duration agreements covering the remainder, positioning the pipeline for stable and growing cash flows [8]. - The acquisition extends Plains' weighted average contract duration from 2028 to October 2029 [9].

Core Insights - Plains All American has strategically narrowed its focus to pure-play crude oil since the last review in early August, indicating a shift in operational strategy [1] Group 1: Company Strategy - The company has appreciated in value, reflecting positive market sentiment towards its refined focus on crude oil [1] - The analyst emphasizes a long-term value investing approach, highlighting the importance of strong fundamentals and cash flows in investment decisions [1] Group 2: Market Perspective - The analyst expresses interest in sectors like Oil & Gas and consumer goods, particularly those that are undervalued or overlooked by the market [1] - Energy Transfer is cited as an example of a company that was initially avoided by investors but has shown potential for substantial returns [1]

Core Viewpoint - Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. (PAA) is showing potential for a bullish breakout due to a recent "golden cross" in its moving averages, indicating a positive trend reversal [1][2]. Technical Analysis - PAA's 50-day simple moving average has crossed above its 200-day simple moving average, forming a "golden cross," which is a bullish signal in trading [1][2]. - A golden cross typically suggests that a stock may experience a bullish breakout, as it indicates a shift from a downtrend to an upward momentum [2][3]. Price Movement - Over the past four weeks, PAA has experienced a rally of 5.1%, suggesting positive momentum in its stock price [4]. - The combination of the recent price rally and the technical indicators suggests that PAA could be poised for further gains [4]. Earnings Outlook - PAA's earnings outlook is positive, with no earnings estimates being cut and one revision higher in the past 60 days, indicating confidence among analysts [4]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PAA has also increased, further solidifying the bullish case for the company [4][5].

Group 1 - The current market sentiment is characterized by a three-year bull run and record highs, leading to concerns about the sustainability of this trend, especially with a unanimous consensus on a strong 2026 [1] - There is a notable unease among analysts regarding the market outlook, despite the prevailing optimism on Wall Street [1] Group 2 - Roberts Berzins has over a decade of experience in financial management, focusing on shaping financial strategies for top-tier corporates and executing large-scale financings [2] - Berzins has contributed to the institutionalization of the REIT framework in Latvia, aimed at enhancing the liquidity of pan-Baltic capital markets [2] - His work includes developing national SOE financing guidelines and frameworks to channel private capital into affordable housing [2] - Berzins holds a CFA Charter and an ESG investing certificate, and has participated in thought-leadership activities to support capital market development in the Baltic region [2]

Core Viewpoint - Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. (PAA) and Plains GP Holdings (PAGP) announced their quarterly distributions for the fourth quarter of 2025 and the timing for their earnings release [1][4]. Distribution Declaration - PAA and PAGP declared a quarterly cash distribution of $0.4175 per Common Unit and Class A Share, which is an increase of $0.0375 from the previous distribution in November 2025, representing a 10% annualized increase [7]. - PAA also announced a quarterly distribution of $21.02 per Series B Preferred Unit, payable on February 17, 2026 [2]. Earnings Timing - The companies will release their fourth quarter 2025 earnings before market open on February 6, 2026, followed by a conference call at 9:00 a.m. CT to discuss the earnings [4]. Company Overview - PAA operates midstream energy infrastructure and logistics services for crude oil and natural gas liquids, handling approximately nine million barrels per day [5]. - PAGP holds a non-economic controlling general partner interest in PAA and is one of the largest energy infrastructure and logistics companies in North America [6].