ET vs KMI: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of October 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: ET is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. ET and KMI share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined ET and KMI exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Energy Transfer owns and operates one of the largest and most diversified energy-infrastructure portfolios in the United States, spanning roughly 140,000 miles of pipeline across 44 states with assets in all major production basins. Its segments include natural gas gathering, processing, and intrastate and interstate transportation and storage; crude oil transportation and terminalling; NGL transportation, fractionation, and export; and refined products. The business is largely fee-based: it earns money by moving and storing volumes for producers, refiners, utilities, and exporters under long-term contracts, which makes cash flow less directly tied to commodity prices than an exploration company, though volumes and spreads still matter. Recent growth is concentrated in the Permian Basin, NGL exports (which set company records in Q1 2026), and a wave of natural-gas supply agreements tied to data centers and power generation, including deals to deliver gas to Oracle data centers.

Full ET guide

Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE: KMI) is one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America, operating over 80,000 miles of pipelines and a portfolio of storage and terminal facilities. Its four business segments are Natural Gas Pipelines (the dominant driver), Products Pipelines, Terminals, and CO2. The Natural Gas Pipelines segment transports roughly 40% of all U.S. natural gas consumption and moves approximately 8 billion cubic feet per day to LNG export facilities, with contracted volumes expected to grow to nearly 12 Bcf per day by end of 2028. The company earns the vast majority of its revenue through long-term, fee-based contracts rather than direct commodity exposure, which gives cash flows a utility-like stability.

Full KMI guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• ET drivers: Fee-based midstream cash flows; High distribution and stated growth target.
• KMI drivers: LNG Export Tailwind; Power and Data-Center Demand.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Energy Transfer's volumes and some spreads remain exposed to commodity cycles, drilling activity, and energy demand, so a downturn in production or prices can pressure cash flow. For KMI, kMI carries roughly $32 billion of debt against under $100 million of cash, and a debt-to-equity ratio near 1.0 is well above the midstream industry average, meaning that higher-for-longer interest rates or any refinancing at elevated costs could add hundreds of millions of dollars in annual interest expense and compress margins.

Pick ET if you believe its drivers more; KMI if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the ET and KMI guides.

ET. Energy Transfer is most often evaluated on cash-flow and yield metrics rather than traditional earnings multiples, because as a midstream MLP its appeal is income from distributions backed by distributable cash flow. As of October 16, 2026 the units yielded about 6.8% and traded near 14 times trailing earnings and about 9 times EV/EBITDA. Q3 2026 results on November 3 carry consensus of about $32.4 billion of revenue. These are descriptive figures tied to the asOf date, not projections, and yields move with the unit price.

KMI. KMI's P/E of about 22 times is modestly above the broader energy sector average, and the stock's roughly 22% gain in 2026 has pushed the dividend yield down to about 3.6%. The EV/EBITDA of about 14 times reflects the market's recognition of stable, contracted cash flows, but also a balance sheet carrying roughly $32 billion of debt. Investors in fee-based midstream companies typically weigh dividend yield and distributable cash flow coverage alongside traditional earnings multiples, since GAAP net income can understate actual cash generation at capital-intensive pipeline operators; the next check on those numbers is the October 21, 2026 third-quarter report.

Headline figures (approximate, October 2026): ET shows revenue (ttm) ~$107 billion, revenue growth (q2 2026, yoy) ~78%, net income (ttm) ~$5.05 billion (EPS ~$1.46), distributable cash flow (q2 2026) ~$2.59 billion, up ~32%; KMI shows revenue (ttm) ~$18.0 billion, revenue (q2 2026, quarterly) ~$4.48 billion (up ~11% YoY), adjusted ebitda (fy 2025) ~$8.3 billion, adjusted ebitda (fy 2026 budget) ~$8.6 billion.

ET and KMI are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined ET and KMI exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.