Suburban Propane Partners Lp (NYSE: SPH)

Sector: Utilities Industry: Utilities - Regulated Gas CIK: 0001005210
Market Cap 1.25 Bn
P/B 2.53
P/E 16.35
P/S 0.93
ROIC (Qtr) 10.72
Div Yield % 13.44
Rev 1y % (Qtr) -0.79
Total Debt (Qtr) 1.43 Bn
Debt/Equity (Qtr) 2.29
Add ratio to table...

About

Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (SPH), a company that operates in the energy industry, is a leading marketer and distributor of propane, fuel oil, and refined fuels, as well as a developer and producer of low-carbon fuel alternatives. With a rich history of over 95 years, SPH has established a strong presence in the market, serving a diverse customer base through its nationwide network of customer service centers. The company's main business activities involve the distribution of propane, renewable propane, renewable natural gas (RNG), fuel oil,...

Read more

Investment thesis

Bull case

  • Operating cash flow of 129.81M provides strong 16.84x coverage of stock compensation 7.71M, indicating sustainable incentive practices.
  • Tangible assets of 1.14B provide exceptional 10.88x coverage of deferred revenue 104.74M, showing strong service capability backing.
  • Tangible assets of 1.14B provide robust 5.94x coverage of other current liabilities 192M, indicating strong asset backing.
  • Free cash flow of 65.34M provides healthy 0.94x coverage of inventory 69.28M, showing efficient inventory management.
  • Free cash flow of 65.34M provides solid 0.91x coverage of operating expenses 71.81M, showing operational efficiency.

Bear case

  • Operating cash flow of 129.81M barely covers its investment activities of (95.03M), with a coverage ratio of -1.37, indicating heavy reliance on external financing for growth which may not be sustainable in a tighter credit environment.
  • With cash reserves of 1.28M against inventory of 69.28M, the 0.02 cash-to-inventory ratio suggests potential liquidity risks if inventory turnover slows, particularly concerning given current supply chain volatilities.
  • Operating cash flow of 129.81M provides thin coverage of dividend payments of (84.75M) with a -1.53 ratio, suggesting potential dividend sustainability issues if operational performance deteriorates.
  • Cash reserves of 1.28M provide limited coverage of acquisition spending of (30.57M), which is -0.04x, suggesting aggressive expansion might strain liquidity if market conditions deteriorate.
  • Operating cash flow of 129.81M provides insufficient coverage of deferred revenue obligations of 104.74M, which is 1.24x, raising concerns about future service delivery capabilities.

Industry Sector Breakdown of Revenue (2025)

Segments Breakdown of Revenue (2025)

Peer comparison

Companies in the Utilities - Regulated Gas
S.No. Ticker Company Market Cap P/E P/S Total Debt (Qtr)
1 ATO Atmos Energy Corp 28.99 Bn 23.20 5.95 9.63 Bn
2 NI Nisource Inc. 14.62 Bn 27.48 3.16 16.21 Bn
3 UGI Ugi Corp /Pa/ 8.33 Bn 13.88 1.13 7.21 Bn
4 NJR New Jersey Resources Corp 5.43 Bn 16.61 2.52 3.97 Bn
5 BKH Black Hills Corp /Sd/ 5.38 Bn 18.44 2.33 4.70 Bn
6 SR Spire Inc 5.36 Bn 19.83 2.09 5.35 Bn
7 SWX Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. 5.04 Bn 19.06 1.48 3.51 Bn
8 OGS ONE Gas, Inc. 4.50 Bn 29.67 3.07 3.40 Bn

Industry comparisons

Current Valuation Value Ind Avg Percentile
EV to Assets EV to Assets 1.05 0.79
EV to Cash from Ops. EV/CFO 11.93 18.36
EV to Debt EV to Debt 1.75 1.86
EV to EBIT EV/EBIT 16.37 -126.33
EV to EBITDA EV/EBITDA 8.72 11.96
EV to Free Cash Flow [EV/FCF] EV/FCF 13.69 -73.99
EV to Market Cap EV to Market Cap 2.01 1.71
EV to Revenue EV/Rev 1.87 3.19
Price to Book Value [P/B] P/B 2.53 2.59
Price to Earnings [P/E] P/E 16.35 77.08
Dividend Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Dividend Coverage Ratio Div Coverage (Qtr) 1.57 1.42
Dividend Payout Ratio % Div Payout % (Qtr) 64.00 47.06
Dividend per Basic Share Div per Share (Qtr) 0.98 1.78
FCF Dividend Payout Ratio % FCF Div Payout % (Qtr) 98.88 54.25
Interest Coverage Int. cover (Qtr) 2.75 3.17
Growth Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Capex Growth (1y) % Capex 1y % (Qtr) 6.93 -16.87
Cash and Equivalents Growth (1y) % Cash & Equiv 1y % (Qtr) -71.09 44.73
Dividend Growth (1y) % Div 1y % (Qtr) -25.00 -0.03
EBIAT Growth (1y) % EBIAT 1y % (Qtr) 44.96 6.88
EBITDA Growth (1y) % EBITDA 1y % (Qtr) 15.03 113.90
EBIT Growth (1y) % EBIT 1y % (Qtr) 43.88 26.96
EBT Growth (1y) % EBT 1y % (Qtr) 90.84 12.44
EPS Growth (1y) % EPS 1y % (Qtr) 89.72 24.35
FCF Growth (1y) % FCF 1y % (Qtr) -42.11 -146.22
Gross Profit Growth (1y) % Gross Profit 1y % (Qtr) 12.83 10.16
Liquidity Ratios Value Ind Avg Percentile
Asset Utilization Ratio Asset Util Ratio (Qtr) 0.60 0.36
Cash Payout Ratio Cash Payout (Qtr) 0.44 0.12
Cash Ratio Cash Ratio (Qtr) 0.00 0.15
Current Ratio Curr Ratio (Qtr) 0.87 0.94
Debt to Equity Ratio Debt/Equity (Qtr) 2.29 3.58
Interest Cover Ratio Int Coverage (Qtr) 2.75 3.17
Times Interest Earned Times Interest Earned (Qtr) 2.75 3.17
Profitability Value Ind Avg Percentile
EBITDA Margin % EBITDA Margin % (Qtr) 19.70 32.74
EBIT Margin % EBIT Margin % (Qtr) 14.71 21.43
EBT Margin % EBT Margin % (Qtr) 9.37 13.06
Gross Margin % Gross Margin % (Qtr) 26.90 43.32
Net Profit Margin % Net Margin % (Qtr) 9.30 9.98