Alternatives SteelPath commentary on the midstream energy infrastructure industry

Latest SteelPath commentary on the Midstream energy infrastructure industry

Each month, the Invesco SteelPath team provides an update and insight on the most recent midstream industry happenings. Each monthly commentary provides:

  • Market performance update
  • Recent news
  • Chart of the month

Midstream equities had another month of attractive results in April but underperformed the broader markets as the conflict in the Middle East continued to drive volatility.1 In response to the Strait of Hormuz remaining effectively closed, many market participants believe there may be a call on volumes sourced from the United States. While U.S. producers await the call, they continue to demonstrate operational efficiencies, doing more with less. Over the past three years the total footage drilled in the Permian Basin continues to inch higher even as the basin rig count has fallen more than 30% from its early-2023 peak.2

  • 1

    Midstream MLPs, as measured by the Alerian MLP Index (AMZ), ended April up 4.10% from a price perspective and up 4.44% after distributions are considered. The AMZ underperformed the S&P 500 Index’s 10.49% total return for the month. The best performing midstream subsector for April was the Compression group, while the Propane subsector underperformed, on average.

    For the year through April, the AMZ is up 19.53% on a price basis, resulting in a 22.04% total return. This compares to the S&P 500 Index’s 5.31% and 5.69% price and total returns, respectively. The Compression group has produced the best average total return year-to-date, while the Propane subsector has lagged.

  • 2

    “How quickly could US shale respond?”, Betty Jiang, Barclays Equity Research, April 29, 2026