Kinder Morgan Inc. Stock Hold Recommendation Reiterated (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 reiterated by TheStreet Ratings as a hold with a ratings score of C+ . The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, expanding profit margins and increase in net income. 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 3.4%. 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.
• The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has significantly exceeded that of the S&P 500 and the Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels industry. The net income increased by 124.0% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, rising from $155.80 million to $349.00 million.
• 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.

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 $37.56 billion and is part of the basic materials sector and energy industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 71, above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 4.9% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday.

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.

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

• Kinder Morgan Inc. Stock Price

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• Kinder Morgan Inc. Key Stats & Profile

• Kinder Morgan Inc. Earnings

• Kinder Morgan Inc. Ratio Comparison

• Kinder Morgan Inc. Growth Rates

• Kinder Morgan Inc. Balance Sheet

• Kinder Morgan Inc. Cash Flow

• Kinder Morgan Inc. Income Statement