Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI): Today's Featured Basic Materials Laggard

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Kinder Morgan (KMI) pushed the Basic Materials sector lower today making it today's featured Basic Materials laggard. The sector as a whole closed the day down 0.8%. By the end of trading, Kinder Morgan fell 59 cents (-1.7%) to $34.50 on heavy volume. Throughout the day, 40.5 million shares of Kinder Morgan exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 5.4 million shares. The stock ranged in price between $34.15-$34.78 after having opened the day at $34.15 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $35.09. Other companies within the Basic Materials sector that declined today were: Pure Bioscience (PURE), down 10.2%, Minco Gold Corporation (MGH), down 9.4%, Alpha Natural Resources (ANR), down 7.8%, and Houston American Energy Corporation (HUSA), down 7.3%.

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Kinder Morgan, Inc. owns and operates energy transportation and storage assets in the United States and Canada. The company operates in six segments: Products Pipelines-KMP, Natural Gas Pipelines KMP, CO2 KMP, Terminals KMP, Kinder Morgan Canada KMP, and NGPL PipeCo LLC. Kinder Morgan has a market cap of $19.94 billion and is part of the energy industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 76.4, below the average energy industry P/E ratio of 390.7 and above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 9.1% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday. Currently there are six analysts that rate Kinder Morgan a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and three rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Kinder Morgan as a sell. The company's weaknesses can be seen in multiple areas, such as its deteriorating net income, generally high debt management risk, disappointing return on equity and weak operating cash flow.

• You can view the full Kinder Morgan Ratings Report.

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For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the basic materials sector could consider Materials Select Sector SPDR (XLB) while those bearish on the basic materials sector could consider ProShares Short Basic Materials Fd (SBM).

• Find other investment ideas from our top rated ETFs lists.

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For more information on Kinder Morgan Inc. click any of the following:

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• Kinder Morgan Inc. Income Statement