Delek Logistics Partners
NYSE: DKL
$59.09 ▼ -0.21  (-0.36%)
At close: Aug 11, 2026 · 12:28 PM UTC
Financial Ratios
Market Cap3.15 Bn
P/E20.44
P/S11.41
Div. Yield0.00
ROIC (Qtr)0.06
Total Debt (Qtr)2.37 Bn
Revenue Growth (1y) (Qtr)56.18
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About

Delek Logistics Partners, LP is a midstream energy company specializing in the gathering, transportation, storage, and marketing of crude oil, natural gas, and refined products. Operating primarily in the Permian Basin and select areas of the Gulf Coast region, the company provides integrated midstream services, including pipeline transportation, terminalling, water disposal, and wholesale marketing. Its assets are strategically positioned to support both third-party…

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Sector: Energy Industry: Oil & Gas Refining & Marketing CIK: 0001552797

Investment Thesis

▲ Bull case
  • DKL's successful execution of its tender offer for $270.7 million of its 7.125% Senior Notes due 2028, representing 67.7% of the outstanding amount, demonstrates strong market confidence in the company's creditworthiness and provides a clear path to deleveraging its balance sheet by replacing higher-cost debt with newly issued 6.875% senior notes due 2034. This refinancing maneuver, coupled with the conditional notice to redeem $400 million of its 8.625% Senior Notes due 2029, will significantly reduce annual interest expense, as the new notes carry a coupon approximately 175 basis points lower than the tendered 2028 notes and over 175 basis points lower than the portion of the 2029 notes being redeemed. The resulting interest savings will directly augment distributable cash flow and improve the DCF coverage ratio beyond current levels, creating a more sustainable foundation for distribution growth even if operational EBITDA growth moderates. This proactive liability management, executed while maintaining over $1.1 billion of available liquidity under its upsized revolving credit facility, underscores financial discipline that the market may be underestimating as a catalyst for sustained unitholder returns.
  • Despite the $10 million headwind from Winter Storm Fern in Q1 2026, DKL reported Adjusted EBITDA growth of $9.1 million year-over-year to $132.3 million, driven by margin expansion in the Gathering and Processing and Storage and Transportation segments, which together contributed over $12 million in incremental Adjusted EBITDA. The Storage and Transportation segment's Adjusted EBITDA nearly doubled from $14.5 million to $25.2 million, primarily due to increased income from sales-type leases, reflecting the successful monetization of infrastructure investments made in prior periods. This performance indicates that DKL's growth capital spending plan of $180–$190 million for 2026 is already yielding tangible returns, with the company on track to achieve its target of approximately $75 million in incremental run-rate EBITDA from these investments. The market may be overlooking how effectively DKL is converting its capital program into higher-margin, fee-based cash flows that are less sensitive to commodity price volatility, thereby enhancing the stability and predictability of its distributable cash flow.
  • DKL's strategic focus on economic separation from its sponsor Delek US is advancing faster than anticipated, with management indicating that approximately 80% of run-rate EBITDA will come from third-party sources on a pro forma basis for 2026. This shift is evidenced by the strong performance in third-party gathering volumes, particularly in the Delaware Basin where crude gathering volumes increased to 129,451 bpd from 122,226 bpd year-over-year despite weather-related disruptions, and natural gas gathering and processing volumes rose to 63,903 Mcfd from 59,809 Mcfd. The company's integrated full-service offering—combining crude, gas, and water solutions—is gaining traction with third-party producers seeking reliable takeaway capacity in the Permian Basin, a trend reinforced by management's commentary on Waha gas prices finding a floor due to upcoming pipeline takeaway capacity. As DKL continues to expand its sour gas gathering infrastructure and acid gas injection capabilities at the Libby Complex, its ability to capture incremental third-party volumes will drive EBITDA growth that is less reliant on Delek US's drilling activity, positioning the partnership for sustainable, long-term value creation that the market may not be fully pricing in.
▼ Bear case
  • DKL's distributable cash flow as adjusted decreased to $72.4 million in Q1 2026 from $75.1 million in Q1 2025, despite Adjusted EBITDA growth, primarily due to unfavorable working capital movements that reversed the favorable tailwind seen in the prior year period. While net cash provided by operating activities surged to $170.4 million from $31.6 million year-over-year, this increase was largely driven by changes in assets and liabilities—a source of cash that is inherently volatile and non-recurring. The underlying distributable cash flow generation, as reflected in the DCF coverage ratio of 1.20x (down from 1.27x), shows only modest improvement in cash flow adequacy to cover distributions, suggesting that the core business is not generating sufficient sustainable cash flow to meaningfully increase coverage without reliance on balance sheet maneuvers or working capital swings. This raises concerns about the quality of earnings and the durability of cash flow growth, particularly if working capital normalizes or reverses in subsequent quarters.
  • The Wholesale Marketing and Terminalling segment continues to face structural headwinds, with Adjusted EBITDA declining to $14.3 million in Q1 2026 from $17.8 million in Q1 2025, primarily due to the termination of the East Texas marketing agreement with Delek Holdings. Although management cited partially offsetting increases in wholesale margins, the segment remains significantly below its historical contribution, and there is no clear timeline or strategy disclosed for replacing this lost revenue stream. The termination of a long-term affiliate agreement highlights DKL's ongoing dependence on its sponsor for certain business lines, contradicting narratives of economic separation and exposing the partnership to risks associated with Delek US's refining margin volatility and strategic shifts. Until DKL demonstrates consistent third-party growth in this segment or announces meaningful alternative commercial arrangements, the drag on overall profitability will persist, limiting the partnership's ability to expand its EBITDA base beyond current levels.
  • DKL's leverage ratio of 4.05x, while presented as providing financial flexibility, remains elevated for an MLP in the midstream sector and leaves little room for error in the event of a sustained downturn in commodity prices or producer activity. The company's plan to use net proceeds from its $800 million 2034 note offering to redeem the 2028 and partially redeem the 2029 notes will reduce debt, but the pro forma leverage improvement may be offset by the need to fund its $180–$190 million growth capital program, which could require additional borrowing if operating cash flow does not accelerate as expected. Furthermore, the market may be underestimating the execution risk associated with DKL's sour gas gathering and acid gas injection system in the Delaware Basin, where management acknowledged a slower-than-expected ramp-up and indicated that utilization reaching capacity in 3–6 months will necessitate additional processing capacity investments. If the Libby complex fails to achieve anticipated utilization levels or if third-party producer commitments fall short due to basin-wide takeaway constraints or regulatory delays, the expected step-change in gas segment EBITDA may not materialize, leaving DKL exposed to overcapacity and underutilized assets that could pressure future returns.

Product and Service Breakdown of Revenue (2025)

Segments Breakdown of Revenue (2025)

Peer Comparison

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