Many of the blue-chip dividend payers are hitting new 52-week price highs. This is concerning as when price increases, yields will fall. Because of the soaring popularity of blue-chip dividend payers, more investors are turning to master limited partnerships (MLP). These are pass-through entities that must pay at least 90% of their taxable income to investors. Many of these issues provide yields double those of blue-chip dividend stocks, and three to four times that of the 10-year Treasury note.
With that in mind, here is a list of MLPs that distribute high dividend yields. Each company boasts a healthy bottom line already, and should continue to generate income as oil prices rise. As they generate income, so too will their shareholders.
Linn Energy, LLC (LINE), an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the acquisition and development of oil and gas properties. The master-limited partnership offers a generous 7.4% yield, with a quarterly distribution of $0.725 per share. The dividend has increased 9.75% in the past year. LINE is a best in class upstream MLP. Distribution growth to accelerate as it integrates acquisitions & develops high-return Granite Wash program. LINE is positioned to capitalize on acquisition opportunities owing to low commodity price environment. Accretion from these, which LINE “locks-in” upfront via hedging, should drive LT growth. LINE is projected to increase EPS by 30% next year.
DCP Midstream Partners, LP (DPM) engages in gathering, compressing, treating, processing, transporting, storing, and selling natural gas in the United States. The master-limited partnership offers a 6.31% yield, with a quarterly distribution of $0.66 per share. The dividend has increased 5.6% in the past year. DPM is a high growth NGL dropdown play. Entering transformative period, as it will acquire $3b of assets from sponsor. Dropdowns along with additional organic growth will create integrated NGL midstream platform & drive distribution growth to high-single digits.
NuStar Energy L.P. (NU) engages in the terminalling, storage, and transportation of petroleum products primarily in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, St. Eustatius in the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, and Turkey. The master-limited partnership offers a generous 8.45% yield, with a quarterly distribution of $1.095 per share. This is a deep value, turnaround story for this crude oil storage & transport MLP. NU is sowing the seeds for a recovery in distribution growth to the low-single digits. We believe the recent increase in organic growth capex is sustainable given the number of low cost, high return project opportunities around its assets.
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD) provides midstream energy services to producers and consumers of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil, refined products, and petrochemicals in the United States, Canada, and Gulf of Mexico. The master-limited partnership offers a 4.87% yield, with a quarterly distribution of $0.635 per share. The dividend has increased 6.28% in the past year. EPD is the largest energy MLP with access to most prolific natural gas, NGL & crude oil plays in US. Despite its large size, $7.6B of cap ex projects support 5-6% distribution growth per year for next several years with 80% revenues expected to be fee-based by 2013.
Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. (PAA) engages in the transportation, storage, terminalling, and marketing of crude oil, refined products, and liquid petroleum gas (LPG) products in the United States and Canada. The master-limited partnership offers a 5.09% yield, with a quarterly distribution of $1.065 per share. The dividend has increased 9.8% in the past year. PAA is the largest oil transport and storage MLP with a presence in most leading oil shale plays and major storage positions at strategic oil pipeline intersections. Approximately $5B of organic capex thru 2015 to serve expected increase in US crude production. Its distributions should grow high single digits the next few years.