Kinder Morgan Inc. Stock Upgraded (KMI)

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) -- Kinder Morgan (NYSE:KMI) has been upgraded by TheStreet Ratings from sell to hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, expanding profit margins and impressive record of earnings per share growth. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including generally higher debt management risk and disappointing return on equity.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• KMI's very impressive revenue growth greatly exceeded the industry average of 6.6%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues leaped by 52.6%. Growth in the company's revenue appears to have helped boost the earnings per share.
• KINDER MORGAN INC reported significant earnings per share improvement in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past year. We feel that this trend should continue. This trend suggests that the performance of the business is improving. During the past fiscal year, KINDER MORGAN INC increased its bottom line by earning $1.35 versus $0.63 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($1.46 versus $1.35).
• Compared to where it was a year ago today, the stock is now trading at a higher level, reflecting both the market's overall trend during that period and the fact that the company's earnings growth has been robust. Looking ahead, the stock's rise over the last year has already helped drive it to a level which is relatively expensive compared to the rest of its industry, implying reduced upside potential.
• The debt-to-equity ratio is very high at 2.29 and currently higher than the industry average, implying increased risk associated with the management of debt levels within the company.
• The company's current return on equity has slightly decreased from the same quarter one year prior. This implies a minor weakness in the organization. In comparison to the other companies in the Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels industry and the overall market, KINDER MORGAN INC's return on equity is significantly below that of the industry average and is below that of the S&P 500.

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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. The company has a P/E ratio of 74.1, above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Kinder Morgan has a market cap of $39.2 billion and is part of the basic materials sector and energy industry. Shares are up 5.9% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday.

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

-- Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff

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.

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

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• Kinder Morgan Inc. Balance Sheet

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• Kinder Morgan Inc. Income Statement