ET vs EPD Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Energy Transfer and Enterprise Products Partners are both large US master limited partnerships operating extensive midstream pipeline networks, but Enterprise Products Partners has built a reputation for conservative balance sheet management and consistent distribution coverage, while Energy Transfer has grown its footprint substantially through acquisitions and historically carried higher leverage.
Enterprise Products Partners offers a more conservative midstream income profile backed by a long track record of distribution reliability, while Energy Transfer offers a larger, acquisition-built pipeline network with potentially higher risk tied to its balance sheet and payout history. Consider whether you prefer Enterprise's conservative track record or Energy Transfer's scale and growth-through-acquisition strategy.
ET holds the edge across 4 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. ET leads on both 1-year return (+29.91%) and forward P/E quality (11.56x vs 11.81x for EPD), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. On fundamentals, ET is growing revenue faster (78.40%), while EPD maintains the higher operating margin (10.64%) — a classic growth-versus-profitability split. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for ET (+22.52%) than for EPD (+11.11%).
Human Wall Street analysts' price targets, typically implying a ~12-month view — a separate signal from this site's own AI Prediction Signal further down the page, which is a 5-/30-day machine-learning forecast based on price history alone.
- Want exposure to one of the largest, most diversified midstream pipeline networks in the United States
- Believe continued acquisition-driven growth can expand throughput volumes and distributions over time
- Are comfortable with a more complex balance sheet and payout history than some midstream peers
- Seek broad exposure across natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, and refined products infrastructure
- Want exposure to a long-tenured distribution track record with strong coverage
- Value a more conservative approach to balance sheet and capital management
- Are comfortable managing a K-1 tax form in exchange for partnership-level income
- Prefer distribution reliability over aggressive acquisition-driven growth
| Metric | ET | EPD |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 59.3 | 56.9 |
| AI ranki | #711 | #796 |
| Latest closei | $20.34 | $37.37 |
| 1M returni | -0.64% | +4.79% |
| 3M returni | +1.97% | +0.12% |
| 6M returni | +4.77% | -0.49% |
| 1Y returni | +29.91% | +28.85% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | ET | EPD |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $14K (+40.0%) started 2025-11-03 | $13.8K (+38.0%) started 2025-11-03 |
| 5Y ago | $50.41K (+404.1%) started 2021-11-03 | $36.08K (+260.8%) started 2021-11-03 |
| 10Y ago | $115.47K (+1054.7%) started 2016-11-03 | $83.95K (+739.5%) started 2016-11-03 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | ET | EPD |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $69.42B | $80.98B |
| Trailing P/Ei | 13.81 | 12.38 |
| Forward P/Ei | 11.56 | 11.81 |
| Price/Salesi | 0.65 | 1.26 |
| EV/Revenuei | 1.47 | 1.79 |
| Analyst targeti | $24.70 | $41.67 |
| Target upsidei | +22.52% | +11.11% |
| Metric | ET | EPD |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | 78.40% | 49.30% |
| Earnings growthi | 85.30% | 21.60% |
| EPS growthi | +85.30% | +21.60% |
| FCF margini | +2.94% | N/A |
| Operating margini | 10.41% | 10.64% |
| Profit margini | 4.92% | 10.24% |
| ROIC proxyi | 14.56% | N/A |
| Return on equityi | 14.56% | N/A |
| Dividend yieldi | 6.74% | 5.99% |
| Payout ratioi | 91.44% | 76.04% |
| Dividend growth streaki | 4 yrs | 10 yrs |
| Betai | 0.60 | 0.46 |
| Debt/equityi | 138.33 | 109.97 |
| Current ratioi | 1.16 | N/A |
| Quick ratioi | 0.91 | N/A |
Over the past year, ET and EPD have moved moderately in the same direction (correlation of 0.62), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | ET | EPD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | +29.91% | +29.82% |
| CAGRi | +30.02% | +29.93% | |
| Volatilityi | 17.55% | 18.62% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 1.33 | 1.26 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 2.10 | 1.98 | |
| Max drawdowni | 10.03% | 9.63% | |
| Current drawdowni | 6.40% | 3.67% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 2.59% | 2.92% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 3.54% | 3.93% | |
| Max daily dropi | 2.78% | 3.17% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 5.20% | 6.79% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +211.90% | +138.30% |
| CAGRi | +25.56% | +18.98% | |
| Volatilityi | 23.65% | 17.09% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.90 | 0.84 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.30 | 1.20 | |
| Max drawdowni | 24.56% | 18.06% | |
| Current drawdowni | 6.40% | 3.67% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 5.29% | 3.80% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 7.68% | 5.27% | |
| Max daily dropi | 8.86% | 7.83% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 16.44% | 15.10% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +225.50% | +204.52% |
| CAGRi | +12.53% | +11.78% | |
| Volatilityi | 33.84% | 24.07% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.39 | 0.40 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.55 | 0.56 | |
| Max drawdowni | 72.82% | 58.04% | |
| Current drawdowni | 6.40% | 3.67% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 16.98% | 8.08% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 24.25% | 12.86% | |
| Max daily dropi | 27.82% | 18.60% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 44.00% | 39.75% |
| Category | ET | EPD |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Energy Transfer LP | Enterprise Products Partners L.P. |
| Sector | Midstream | Midstream |
| Industry | Oil & Gas Midstream | Oil & Gas Midstream |
| Core business | A large master limited partnership operating an extensive network of natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, and refined products pipelines, storage, and terminal infrastructure across the United States, built substantially through acquisitions. | A large master limited partnership operating natural gas liquids, crude oil, and natural gas pipelines, processing, storage, and export terminal infrastructure across the United States, with a long track record of distribution payments. |
| Investor focus | Distribution growth trends, pipeline and terminal throughput volumes, and debt reduction progress following a history of growth through acquisitions. | Distribution coverage ratio strength, natural gas liquids export terminal volumes, and growth project returns as the partnership continues expanding its infrastructure footprint. |
- Extensive, diversified pipeline network spanning natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, and refined products provides broad midstream exposure
- Growth through acquisitions has built one of the largest midstream infrastructure footprints in the United States
- Strategic positioning across key US supply basins and demand centers supports long-term throughput volume potential
- Long track record of consistent distribution payments reflects a disciplined, conservative approach to partnership capital management
- Strong distribution coverage ratio provides a cushion that supports distribution sustainability even during commodity price downturns
- More conservative balance sheet management has historically supported a lower-risk profile than some acquisition-driven midstream peers
- Historically carried higher debt levels than some midstream peers due to its acquisition-driven growth strategy
- Complex corporate history including a prior distribution cut has made some income investors more cautious about payout reliability
- Master limited partnership structure generates a K-1 tax form for investors, which can complicate tax reporting
- Master limited partnership structure generates a K-1 tax form for investors, which can complicate tax reporting compared to standard corporate dividends
- Growth capital spending requires ongoing access to capital markets, which can be affected by broader interest rate and credit conditions
- Results remain tied to natural gas liquids and crude oil production trends in key US supply basins
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