On the dividend front, the energy sector certainly isn't suffering from the summertime blues, as a plethora of pipeline stocks have delivered higher payouts in recent weeks.
Count Delek Logistics Partners (DKL +3.27%), which operates in some of the most coveted domestic shale regions, is among the recent dividend boosters. On July 22, this midcap midstream company upped its quarterly distribution by half a cent to $1.135 a share.
That doesn't sound like much, but it's worth noting that the July increase marked the third time this year Delek Logistics raised its dividend and the 54th consecutive quarter in which the pipeline stock has done so.
Delek Logistics stock pulled back, but its dividend story is intact. Image source: Getty Images.
Slight quarterly payout boosts are seen elsewhere in the midstream segment, and smart investors enjoy the like-clockwork dependability of those increases because they know that, over time, all those small increases add up to something substantial. That's certainly the case with Delek Logistics, whose annual dividend in dollar terms is a stout $4.54 per share. To be sure, that's tempting, but there are some other factors to consider.
Let the dust settle
Accounting for the pipeline operator's 2026 dividend increase cadence, it's a relatively safe bet that another hike is coming in October. That's over the near term, but over the really, really near-term, investors who currently aren't engaged with this energy stock may want to let the smoke clear.
The smoke arrived on Thursday, Aug. 13, when Delek Logistics announced a 4 million-share offering at $50 a share. Even when excluding the additional 600,000 shares that underwriters can purchase for up to a month, the company is diluting investors by $200 million. That's a significant percentage of its market capitalization, $2.8 billion.
The other issue is the $50 sale price, which is well below the energy stock's Aug. 12 closing price of $60. That explains why this midstream name slumped nearly 13% on Aug. 13. Of course, when a stock price declines, its dividend yield rises, so Delek Logistics now yields an enticing 7.7%.
NYSE: DKL
Key Data Points
Keeping it real, dilutive share offerings are not picnics for investors, but shareholders looking for green shoots in the Delek Logistics sale may take heart that management capitalized on an elevated share price and that some of the proceeds will be used to retire debt at an interest rate of 6.05%.
A positive breakup
Obviously, the share sale is a near-term headwind for this energy stock, but it deserves some credit because it's up 17.2% year to date. Gains are gains, but in this case, Delek Logistics' upside is important because it may indicate that market participants are buying into the notion that a "separation" from Delek US (DK -4.14%) is progressing.
In some circles, that parent/subsidiary relationship is viewed as an overhang on both stocks, but the "breakup" is progressing. Four years ago, Delek US owned 79% of the logistics business. Today, that percentage is closer to 63%.
Following its second-quarter earnings release, Delek reiterated that it expects 80% of 2026 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) to come from third parties, also known as companies that aren't Delek US. So the logistics company is making some positive moves. Just wait for cooler heads to prevail after the share sale before rushing into this stock.
