BreitBurn Energy Partners LP Stock Downgraded (BBEP)

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.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- BreitBurn Energy Partners (Nasdaq:BBEP) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from buy to hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its good cash flow from operations and increase in stock price during the past year. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including deteriorating net income, disappointing return on equity and generally higher debt management risk.

• EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Jim Cramer's Protégé, Dave Peltier, only buys Stocks Under $10 that he thinks could potentially double. See what he's trading today with a 14-day FREE pass.

Highlights from the ratings report include:

• Net operating cash flow has significantly increased by 59.26% to $65.73 million when compared to the same quarter last year. In addition, BREITBURN ENERGY PARTNERS LP has also vastly surpassed the industry average cash flow growth rate of -17.51%.
• Compared to where it was a year ago today, the stock is now trading at a higher level, regardless of the company's weak earnings results. Looking ahead, our view is that this company's fundamentals will not have much impact in either direction, allowing the stock to generally move up or down based on the push and pull of the broad market.
• BBEP, with its very weak revenue results, has greatly underperformed against the industry average of 1.8%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues plummeted by 84.5%. Weakness in the company's revenue seems to have hurt the bottom line, decreasing earnings per share.
• Current return on equity is lower than its ROE from the same quarter one year prior. This is a clear sign of weakness within the company. Compared to other companies in the Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels industry and the overall market, BREITBURN ENERGY PARTNERS LP's return on equity significantly trails that of both the industry average and the S&P 500.
• The company, on the basis of change in net income from the same quarter one year ago, has significantly underperformed when compared to that of the S&P 500 and the Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels industry. The net income has significantly decreased by 141.0% when compared to the same quarter one year ago, falling from $178.18 million to -$73.00 million.

.

BreitBurn Energy Partners L.P. engages in the acquisition, exploitation, and development of oil and gas properties in the United States. The company has a P/E ratio of 6.6, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. BreitBurn Energy has a market cap of $1.39 billion and is part of the basic materials sector and energy industry. Shares are up 6.3% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday.

You can view the full BreitBurn Energy Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

-- Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff

FREE for a limited time only: Get TheStreet Ratings #1 Stock Report NOW!.

For more information on BreitBurn Energy Partners LP click any of the following:

• BreitBurn Energy Partners LP Stock Price

• BreitBurn Energy Partners LP Analyst Ratings

• BreitBurn Energy Partners LP Key Stats & Profile

• BreitBurn Energy Partners LP Earnings

• BreitBurn Energy Partners LP Ratio Comparison

• BreitBurn Energy Partners LP Growth Rates

• BreitBurn Energy Partners LP Balance Sheet

• BreitBurn Energy Partners LP Cash Flow

• BreitBurn Energy Partners LP Income Statement