Michael Laitkep is an Energy Research Analyst at Alerian, which equips investors to make informed decisions about energy infrastructure and Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs). Mr. Laitkep seeks to promote understanding of the Alerian Index Series and support broader understanding of the role that midstream assets play in North American energy markets. Mr. Laitkep previously worked as an Investment Operations Associate at Capital Group in Los Angeles. Mr. Laitkep earned his B.A. in Plan II Honors and his B.B.A. in Finance from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.
What’s Been Driving Oil Price Volatility?
Oil prices have been volatile over the last few months, with the price of WTI crude briefly falling into a bear market near $51 per barrel in early June before recovering to almost $60 per barrel...
Have MLPs and Midstream Actually Reduced Leverage?
Reducing leverage has been a theme across midstream for some time, but have midstream MLPs and C-Corporations actually delevered? Today, we examine leverage metrics from 2016 to 2018 for the current...
The SCOOP on Oklahoma and How It’s STACKing Up
We interrupt your regularly scheduled Permian update to focus on the SCOOP and STACK this week, which have been making waves recently due to lowered midstream volume guidance in the STACK, relative...
After Years of Growth, Is Midstream Capex Peaking?
Capital spending has been a hot topic across energy as investors focus on returns and free cash flow generation. The challenge for midstream companies continues to be balancing fiscal discipline with...
EPD Analyst Day Recap: Pursuing Broad Appeal in an MLP Structure
Last week, we attended the analyst day for Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) in Houston. Company management provided commentary on a wide range of issues, including the MLP vs. C-Corp debate, crude...
When Winning Isn’t Everything: Midstream Project Returns and Why They Matter More
The focus on returns is prevalent across the energy sector as investors desire capital discipline and growth backed by solid returns instead of just growth at any cost. Today, we will frame what...